Dragonball Z Rising
by Shijiro
Summary: After the defeat of Cell, Gohan continues on to his next adventure. With school, field trips, and new enemies how will he make friends and experience a normal life. Multi-saga. read more inside. G/V. R&R.
1. Prologue

"Talking" _"Thinking"_

Disclaimer: I don't own dragonball z or any of its characters. Should go without saying so I'm only saying it once

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Prologue**_

Age 767 the defeat of the monster known as Cell was celebrated throughout the world. People came from far and wide to see the hero who saved the world, Mr. Satan, although there were many who believed otherwise. The Z-Fighters didn't care much though, they preferred their privacy and didn't want the attention of the media. The only thing that bothered some of them was Hercule's constant claims of the mysterious fighters at the Cell Games being weak tricksters. But even that was overlooked by the worlds true heroes.

Gohan, who was having a difficult time with his father's decision to stay in Otherworld, had thought of his mistakes many times. When Goten was born he felt like it was his fault his brother would never get to meet their father, but through the support of his friends he was able to overcome his self-regret and focused on doing what he could for his mother and brother. The happy innocent boy they knew was well on his track to becoming his old self again. Still, Gohan felt he needed to do something.

A year passed and after Gohan had replayed the events of his life and his father's decision over and over, he became inspired. His father left because he didn't want the world to rely on him to be around to save the day every time and a lot of the villains were after him. _"But now that he's gone should that responsibility fall on me"_ thought Gohan. No the people of Earth couldn't always rely on someone else to come save them. Humans may not be born as powerful as the Saiyan race or as wise as the Namekian race, but they certainly weren't weak. Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu are all proof of that. But what could Gohan do.

Age 769 was the year things began to change. After discovering her son's book, which he must have written when he had free time from studying, Chi-Chi brought it to Bulma. They had all of the Z-Fighters read it, even the proudly stubborn Vegeta was impressed. Gohan had written a book which gave a clear understanding of "_Ki"_ usage and detailed _"Advanced Martial Arts". _To Gohan's surprise everyone thought he should get it published so the whole world could learn about _Ki. _Even Vegeta had mentioned something about resuming his training and no weaklings are gonna become stronger then him. So after a few months time _"Groundbreaking Science" _was published and sold to the public under a pseudonym so no one would know Gohan wrote it. The money he made from book sales was given to Chi-Chi to support them, they weren't rich but they were well off. Studies of this new energy molecule broke out world-wide, as well did the interest in advanced martial arts.

The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament was held two years later but the level of fighting was still low so Hercule still managed to become champ and in traditional ways the tournament was decided to be held every three years.

Another year past and the Earth has progressed to a new stage. Mr. Satan, the World Champ, had convinced the majority of the world that he had energy abilities and that's how he defeated Cell, but if he were to demonstrate his power he would destroy an entire city or more. People being as gullible as they are ate it up. There are still many who believed the mysterious _"golden warriors"_ were the true heroes and are known as _"Anti-Satan_", but since the mysterious fighters never showed at the World Martial Arts Tournament they couldn't prove anything.

Martial arts had taken a drastic step. Tournaments and Competitions are held often and are televised. Even the use of energy blasts and beams became more prominent. Although the level of fighting is still a bit low for the Z-Fighters, there have been many signs of growing "_Power Levels"_ on Earth.

Bulma, with some help from Vegeta, managed to make booming technological advances for Capsule Corporation after they re-engineered a lot of the technology used by Frieza's former Planet Trade Organization. Capsule Corp. is now the single provider of: rejuvenation tanks sold to hospitals, remodeled arm cannons and battle armor for the King's Royal Military, and even developing scouters for the public.

The scouters were down-graded a bit, although they could pick up incredibly high levels of power; even that of a super-saiyan, they had a limited range. The most advanced scouters produced by Capsule Corp. had a range that could only cover a city, it was in order to keep the Z-Fighters hidden just in case they were training. But many martial artists, police agencies, and even the Royal Military used scouters to gain an understanding of people's power levels. Bulma even made a giant scouter system that can be used to track _Ki _anywhere on Earth. It's mostly for her use but the Z-Fighters gather yearly and check the average level of _Ki _on earth. The Average Power Level of martial artists and trained soldiers in age 772 is between 100-200 kili. The level the Z-Fighters were at when Radditz first arrived on Earth.

This is the year that Gohan has decided to attend High School. With the world moving towards becoming stronger Gohan felt it was time for him to slow down on his training and take his studying on a new path. He wanted to experience normal life as a teenager in High School, which his mom readily agreed to. After becoming smart enough to graduate college due to his mother's obsession with him becoming a scholar, saving the world and his friends on several occasions, and inspiring the world to learn about _Ki, _Gohan faces his greatest challenge yet. Being a normal high school teenager?

**A/N: This is my first fanfic really but I just wanted to make my own Dragon Ball Z adventure were Gohan is the main Hero. I used some ideas from here and there if anyone notices cool. Just saying I don't own everything in my fic. For one I used Groundbreaking Science from Dragon Ball online. I'm just tired of story's looking down on humans for being weak. But its because their ignorant. If they knew about Ki I'm sure many earthlings can become powerful. So I'm taking that road. Gohan going to high school while the world moves into a new age where many new powerful enemies, rivals, and organizations will come forth. Plus Gohan and Videl get together eventually. **


	2. The New Kid

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 1: The New Kid**_

It was a calm crisp January morning as Gohan flew over the mountain side atop the Nimbus. The morning dew from the trees still clung to the leaves, the sun glistening off the moist droplets. Winter had come and gone and Gohan was on his way to Satan City for his first day of school. Chi-Chi had finally agreed to it although she still argued he was too young to be going off on his own. He was fifteen now and thought he could take care of himself in regards to going to the city for his education, after-all he did save the world. What harm could the city do him, right?

He had missed the first semester, but Orange Star High School excepted him wholeheartedly after he scored perfectly on his entrance exams. Gohan was excited to say the least, his first experience around normal kids his own age. Gohan approached ever closer to Satan city thinking to himself, _"I wonder if I'll make any friends"_. Not that he didn't like the friends he already had but they were all his dad's friends. He wanted to make friends his age and have adventures with them. Although they'll never compare to his past adventures.

As Gohan passed over the outskirts of Satan City he hopped off Nimbus calling back, "Catch you after school, Nimbus!" Then began casually jogging at a human's pace towards his new school. Can't be late on the first day. Looking down at his watch he realized he wouldn't make it to school at this pace. So after looking around to make sure nobody was watching, Gohan took off at inhuman speeds down the street while saying, "Super Speed."

He passed several streets before hearing gunshots ringing out through the air. Picking up the sound with his saiyan hearing, Gohan backtracked a bit to view the scene.

It appeared to be a bank robbery in progress. The Satan City Police were pinned behind their own cars while two men fired a hail of bullets at them. There was another man firing at the bank's sign where a girl was taking cover, while one more waited in their get-away truck ready to drive.

"Guess no matter where you are there are always criminals to deal with," said Gohan looking at the scene. "I suppose I should give them a hand." Looking down at himself, Gohan took in his black slacks and white long-sleeved shirt. _"These clothes will give me away if I jump in there like this...I know."_

With everyone's eyes on the scene at hand, Gohan used the vanishing technique to quickly move to a nearby rooftop. Dropping his backpack and shirt on the roof, he powered up into his super-saiyan form. The points on his head spiked upwards sharply. Now in his slacks and under-shirt, he looked down in time to see the man firing at the girl behind the sign pull out a grenade. Down below the man with the grenade had stopped his machine-gun assault long enough to pull the pin and scream, " Eat this little girl!" before throwing the grenade towards her.

Before the deadly explosive could reach its target, a blur cut off its trajectory and knocked it towards the sky, where it exploded harmlessly. The crooks stopped to look at what happened as their partner stared, dumbfounded. Bystanders and police were just as surprised, finding a young man with golden blonde hair and teal eyes glaring dangerously at the bank robbers. The girl behind the sign had come out to look at the incident wondering what she missed. Her clear blue eyes had just fixed themselves on the figure of her savior when he vanished from sight.

In seconds the two men who were firing at the police had been knocked unconscious by a hard blow to the back of the neck. Vanishing again the mysterious hero appeared in the bed of the truck, right behind the grenade wielding crook. As the crook spotted Gohan, he fired his gun expecting to a kill. But Gohan simply caught each bullet as they approached. When the gun began clicking signaling it was empty, he opened his hand letting the bullets fall. Each one ringing out a metallic sound as they came in contact with the truck.

The man looked on in fear before turning to run, but Gohan was faster and used a soft flying kick to the man's back to knock him out. Landing on his feet, Gohan heard the sounds of tires squealing as rubber harshly met road. The get-away driver decided to drop his losses, in this case his so called partners, and took off down the street. But he wasn't getting very far if Gohan had a say in it. He lifted his arm with a flat palm aimed towards the truck and 'Ha!' he sent a _Kiai_ towards the truck turning it upside down.

[a/n:Kiai = powerful white-clear force that emits from the users body]

All the spectators where beyond shocked. Never had they seen such a display of over powering domination. Gohan, looking to his side, noticed that the girl was alright and finally got a chance to take a good look at her. She wore black spandex shorts that reached her lower thigh, a baggy white t-shirt, fingerless biker gloves, had raven black hair in pigtails, and clear blue eyes. She was looking right back at him her mouth gaping. _"Who is this guy,"_ she thought, _"could he be..."_ But before she could finish her thought he vanished again.

Snapping out of her dazzled state she quickly looked around for any signs of him. "Damn it, how could he just disappear like that." Seeing that the formerly witless officers were now taking the robbers into custody, she decided to look for the mystery hero.

Moments later Gohan was ready to walk away from the scene his shirt and backpack already retrieved, when a call from behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"Hey you!" Gohan turned to see the girl from before glaring at him.

"Who me?" He questioned stupidly, while nervously scratching his cheek with his index finger.

The girl placed her fists on her hips and leaned into him, causing him to lean back with his hands defensively position at his chest. "Yeah you, who else would I be talking to?" she questioned rhetorically.

"Oh right." he agreed nervously.

"_Geez, he's slow. I should just get this over with," _she thought to herself before asking, "Did you see someone come by here?"

"Um, no I didn't see anyone." replied Gohan.

Turning away from Gohan the girl began muttering something about "getting away" and "next time I see him", but he didn't pay attention and took the chance to sneak off to school.

* * *

><p><span>[Later that morning]<span>

Orange Star High School, a proud institution for developing the minds of young boys and girls, was bustling with students as they rushed to their classes. In one particular class, a teacher tried to calm the chattering teens. "Alright kids quiet down now. Is this how you want to start your new semester?"

When the teens reduced their chatter to whispers the teacher continued. "Today we will be having the pleasure of a new student. And this one could teach you a thing or two." Turning to the door he said, "That's your cue son."

The class turned their attention to the door, curious to see the new kid. Gohan came in as he was told , a bit nervous, and approached the teachers desk. "This is Son Gohan. He made a perfect score on all his entrance exams," the teacher announced to the students. The students took a moment to observe the tall dark haired teen, wearing a baggy but fitting long-sleeved shirt and black slacks. He was skinny and had a goofy smile, but most notable was his crazy spiky hair. A few bangs covered his forehead and some wild spike's were slightly slumping forward near the front of his head. Gohan heard several remarks of "nerd" and "geek" from some of the jocks, but the girls were saying something along the lines of "cute."

"Well then why don't you find a seat wherever you'd like," the teacher suggested. Gohan looked around with a goofy smile not sure of where to sit until a girl near the back outside row called out to him. "Hey cutie, here's a seat," she announced, pointing next to her with a bright smile on her face.

Walking towards his new seat Gohan thought, _"well she's nice."_ Taking his new seat he smiled gratefully at the short-haired blonde girl and she smiled back seductively her light blue eyes focused on him. "Hi, I'm Erasa with an E. And these are my friends Videl and Sharpner," she said gesturing to the two. Gohan's face was stained comically with fear when he recognized the girl from this morning and she stared intently at him. The boy on the other-hand was slouching back in his seat, arms behind his head of shoulder length blonde hair, not really paying attention.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Gohan replied honestly. Looks like he was making friends already, as long as Videl doesn't recognize him from beating those bank robbers.

Erasa turned to Gohan bubbling with excitement as she began speaking again, "You'll never guess who Videl's pop is?" she stated more then asked. Gohan just looked at her waiting for an answer, guessing she'll just tell him. "It's Hercule"

Gohan was definitely surprised but not for the reason Erasa thought. "Mr. Satan?"

"The one and only." she replied.

Gohan looked passed Erasa to Videl and asked, without much interest, "Well that must be nice, being a celebrity's daughter and all?"

Videl didn't respond but that didn't stop Erasa. "It's pretty nice being the friend of the daughter of a celebrity too," she admitted and winked at Gohan.

Videl continued to just stare at him, as Erasa looked on with a smile on her face. That is until Videl exclaimed, "Now I remember. Gohan, you were by the bank after it was robbed this morning."

Gohan was surprised by her sudden declaration. "Uh yeah, that was me," he responded honestly, rubbing the back of his head in the traditional Son manner.

Suddenly gaining interest in the conversation again Erasa turned to face her best friend, "You mean where the _Gold Fighter _ showed up?"

"_Gold Fighter_? Is he a celebrity too?" Gohan asked curiously.

"Where have you been, your outside the gossip loop," she said turning back to Gohan. "He's the new superhero that showed up today. No one knows who he is but they say he's a teenage boy, has super powers, and golden glowing hair," she exclaimed excitedly. "So V, you saw him right, is he a hotty like they say?"

Videl's face paled a bit. She hadn't really paid much attention at at the time, but when she thought about it...wait. "That's not the point. When the _Gold Fighter_ disappeared the only one I found nearby was Gohan," she proclaimed and directed a glare towards Gohan.

It was Gohan's turn to turn pale in the face. Thankfully, before he could stumble over his defense the other blonde who hasn't said anything til now spoke up. "Come on Videl, who's ever heard of a nerd secretly being a superhero?"

Videl finally took her eyes from Gohan and started thinking. "Yeah you're right his hair's not even right." _"But something still doesn't sit right with me."_

But before anymore could be discussed about the mystery _Gold Fighter _the teacher spoke up. "You four in the back, quiet down and pay attention."

Gohan sighed inwardly, glad he wasn't the topic of discussion anymore. At this rate school is gonna be tougher then he thought. Especially if that overly curious Videl is suspicious of him. _"Man this can't be good."_

**AN:First chapter, that's what it is, so there you go. Kinda basic introduction to school chapter. Don't have much to say on this one. Except Gohan's hair still looks kinda like when he fought Bojack just a bit shorter to fit his taller frame and skinnier face, he's still only fifteen. That way his hair when normal is different from when he turns super saiyan, not just his hair color changing. **


	3. Normal Gohan?

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 2: Normal Gohan?**_

First day at school and things weren't too bad for Gohan. Any talk about him being the _Gold Fighter _stopped but the hero was still a big topic of gossip, especially among the girls. Gohan had enjoyed listening to the teacher and taking notes even if it was stuff he had already learned, but Gohan figured reviewing is always good. He noticed Erasa and Sharpner weren't much for studying. Erasa has been applying nail polish under her desk. Sharpner wasn't doing anything so Gohan assumed he was sleeping. How someone came to school and went to sleep instead of learn was something he didn't understand. Videl on the other-hand seemed focused on class scribbling notes as needed.

Little did Gohan know Videl had been writing notes but thinking about something else entirely. She couldn't get her mind off this _Gold Fighter_: the golden glowing hair, with spikes defying gravity; the sharp teal eyes, on his well-defined face; light, almost glowing, skin tone and incredible muscular build. Videl's face turned a shade of red a few times while thinking about it, but she reminded herself she wasn't interested in boys. _"I only want to find out who he is." _she confirmed with herself.

* * *

><p><span>[School cafeteria]<span>

Finally; after hours of agonizing class time, at least to some, it was lunch time. Gohan being his first day had no idea where to sit. Not feeling comfortable asking to sit with someone, he decided to walk to an empty table when someone called out to him. "Hey Gohan, over here!" he heard Erasa calling from a nearby table.

As Gohan approached the table Videl, Sharpner, Erasa and a few others he didn't know sat eating their lunches; Erasa noticed his nervousness. "Hey sit with us Gohan," Erasa offered kindly.

"Thanks, that would be great," Gohan said while taking a seat next to Sharpner. He was sitting next to two other jocks and across from them were two girls, Erasa, Videl, and some smug looking pretty boy with short red hair that hung down to his eyes.

This boy eyed Gohan amused before speaking, "Come on Erasa, why let this nerd sit here? It messes up the atmosphere."

Gohan didn't like how this guy was talking about him as if he wasn't sitting right across from him, but Erasa spoke up before he could. "Geez Ronnie, cut him some slack he hasn't done anything to you. Right Videl?"

Not having much of an opinion on Gohan yet, besides the fact he was a nerd, she didn't much care. But she wasn't one to talk down to people for no reason. "Erasa's right, stop being a jerk."

Ronnie just shrugged and chuckled a bit. "Fine," was his simple reply.

Gohan didn't like this guy much but decided to just enjoy his lunch. He pulled out the food capsule his mom prepared for him and released its contents on the table in front of him. The people watching were amazed at how much food appeared. A meal fit for a few people, but to Gohan just a snack to hold him over until after school.

Seeing the food in front of her Videl asked the question first. "Are you...gonna eat all that yourself?" she asked in disbelief.

Already stuffing his face at a slower speed then normally, Gohan looked up at Videl. He swallowed the mouth full of noodles he was working on, remembering his manners, before answering. "Yeah. My mom's cooking is the best," he admitted with a smile before digging back into his food.

"Wow he sure has an appetite," Erasa said pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah," was the unanimous reply from the two girls next to her.

Sharpner and his two friends just seemed to be staring with a bit of disgust. But Ronnie was...he was glaring. _"What's with this kid? Stuffing his face like an animal in front of these girls. Maybe I need to teach him some manners," _Ronnie thought while watching the display. If only he saw Goku eat, at least Gohan has some manners.

Finishing his food with a content sigh, Gohan capsulized his dishes and utensils. The rest of the table was still slightly shocked. But Erasa managed to find her voice, which probably wasn't hard for her.

"So Gohan..?" she started, slowly getting up to speed.

"Hmm?" Gohan urged her to continue.

Snapping out of it Erasa continued, "So did you just move into town? Maybe we can study at your place sometime?"

"Actually I don't live in the city," Gohan answered honestly.

"Oh that's cool, where do you commute from?" she asked curiously.

Without much thought Gohan replied, "The 439 Mountain Area."

Everyone listening to their little conversation was shocked for the second time this lunch period. Erasa shot up in her seat and shouted, a bit loudly, "What! That's like 500 miles away. How in the world do you get here? That's like a five hour car drive."

Gohan's face faulted and a comical sweat-drop made its way down the back of his head. Not having thought about the distance to his home he forgot normally it would take a long time. "Um, well I fly it's faster that way, guess I'm just dedicated to my education," he replied scratching the back of his head nervously.

"No fair, you have your license too. Sharpner, Ronnie, and Videl have theirs. But my parents say I'm too young," complained Erasa.

Sharpner deciding this moment in the conversation to add his two cents tried to make his blonde friend feel better, key word here is tried. "Don't worry Erasa. You can always ride around with me," he said while smirking at the girl.

"Thanks but its not the same," she replied, pouting a bit.

"Yeah you're not exactly the top prize, Sharpy," Videl smugly addedwhile everyone laughed. Sharpner's face falling caused Videl to adorn an accomplished smile.

Lunch ended with some talk among the table, although Gohan listened mostly; not really having anything to say. When the bell rang all the students woefully marched back to class. After a few more lectures from droning teachers, it was time for the final class; Gym.

* * *

><p><span>[In the school's gym]<span>

Gohan was currently in the boys locker room trying to find a locker. When he found one he pulled out the clothes he brought for this class. Grey sweatpants and a long-sleeved navy blue shirt. Before pulling off his shirt to change Gohan took a moment to concentrate his _Ki. _Suddenly he could feel his muscles shrinking, when he took his shirt off he looked like an in-shape skinny kid. Smiling proudly at himself Gohan began dressing in his gym clothes. _"Glad Piccolo taught me that body manipulation technique. Not as affective if your not a namek but it has its uses,"_ like hiding his real muscles that would certainly attract attention.

Walking out into the large gymnasium Gohan found Erasa and Videl talking with some other girls. Sharpner and Ronnie were hanging out with some guys, some of them pushing each other and goofing off. Deciding against going over to either group Gohan waited for the teacher to start speaking. Luckily he didn't have to wait long.

"Alright kids, listen up. Its your first day back and since its still cold outside, you'll be running the inside track. After that you'll get some free time. Now stretch and get ready to run in five," said the deep booming voice of the gym teacher Mr. Krunsh.

All the students did as they were instructed and five minutes later, they were ready to run. "Alright, you will be running for fifteen minutes," Mr. Krunsh announced, earning him some moans from less then happy students, on the other hand many jocks were ready to show off to some of the girls. "No complaining, even if you have to resort to walking, just keep moving. And remember how many laps you do so we can keep a little record. Now start Running" he ordered.

The whole class began jogging along the track. The more competitive jocks ran ahead of the pack. Gohan was a little ahead of the jogging group but behind the jocks. He was surprised to see Videl way in the lead. "Wow she can run," Gohan thought out loud.

"Yeah, Videl's a tough girl. But your pretty fast too Gohan," said a panting Erasa as she came up next to him.

Not realizing he had said that aloud, he looked over to see Erasa running next to him. "You think so?" he asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer to that one.

"Yeah, I'm having trouble keeping up with you..." Erasa began panting a bit harder, "but you look like you're not even trying."

"Ha Ha, well I did grow up in the mountains. There's not much to do but run around when your a kid," Gohan was telling the truth, even if it was lacking a lot of detail.

"Ha Ha Ha, that makes sense."

After the class finished running and told the coach their scores, they were allowed to play with the sports equipment. The boys and Videl quickly broke into teams and started up basketball games, with some of the other girls cheering them on. The rest of the girls were off playing some other sport. Gohan was thinking about what to do when Videl called out to him.

"Hey Gohan?" he seems to be getting called out a lot today.

Gohan turned to the girl calling for his attention. "Um, Yeah?"

"You ever play basketball? I need another player on my team."

"Well I've read a book about it," he informed her.

"Well that will have to do. Just try to stay out of the way, think you can handle that?" she questioned a bit rudely.

The rudeness didn't really register with Gohan. "Yeah I'm pretty good at that," he mockingly replied with a smile.

Videl glared at him, but was willing to admit he had guts to talk back to her like that. A good deal into the game Videl and Sharpner were trying hard to get the ball back before Ronnie's team could score. Not giving them a chance Ronnie took his shot. It had a low arc but was right on point, that is until Gohan went for the save. Not using his super human strength, Gohan jumped just high enough to reach the ball with his hands and took hold of it. Landing on his feet he noticed the astonished faces of the other students.

Shaking out of her stupor, Videl ran towards the other teams basket and called to Gohan. "Pass it over here!"

Not even thinking twice, he used a bounce pass between the still stunned Ronnie's legs; and passed the ball to Videl. Before anyone could run after her she jumped and dunked the ball, scoring her team another two points.

The Game continued, but everyone was involving Gohan now. His teammates were passing to him more often and he even scored once or twice, but his opponents were covering him and making sure he had no room to move. Ronnie had been getting annoyed by Gohan's sudden talent and decided to...knock him into place, so to speak.

As Gohan guarded one of Ronnie's teammates he decided to pass the ball towards that teammate. But his target was Gohan's head. _"Let's see how you like kissing the floor,"_ Ronnie thought thinking it would look like an accident.

Videl saw the ball flying and when she noticed where it would go she called out, "Gohan, look out!"

Upon hearing Videl's shout, Gohan turned his head in time to have the ball smack him in the side of the head and bounce into the air. Everyone watching winced almost feeling the pain themselves. Ronnie's thoughts were a little bit different, _"Idiot! Why did he turn his head?" _But before anyone could think to check on Gohan, he hopped a few feet into the air. He snatched the falling ball out of the air, ran for the basket as soon as he landed, and made a lay-up shot. Everyone watch as the ball fell through the hoop before hearing the sharp sound of a whistle.

Gohan winced at the loud sound, due to his saiyan hearing and looked up at the the other players. "What? Did that not count or something?" he asked curiously not understanding their blank stares.

"No Gohan, that was great!" exclaimed Erasa from the sideline, "That last score won it for your team, but is your face okay?" she asked remembering the incident.

Gohan scratched his cheek nervously while replying, "Yeah, I guess. my mother always said I had a hard head"

"Alright kids. That's it for today," announced the coach before leaving himself.

"Hey Gohan, great game," Sharpner said as he walked by on his way to the locker room.

A few other guys from his team said something along those lines too. Ronnie just glared at him, which went pretty much unnoticed by everyone. Then Videl walked up to him.

"You didn't do bad, you sure this is your first time?" she questioned eying him suspiciously.

"Yup, first time," Gohan told her with a weak smile. _"What's with this girl, is she always this pushy?"_

"Alright, but I'm on to you bub." After she finished talking she followed after Erasa and the other girls.

After changing clothes, Gohan went to his locker to drop some things off. Sharpner had tried to talk him into joining the boxing team, saying his face could take a hit so he might make a pretty decent fighter. Thankfully, Erasa helped him out of the situation which only landed him with another. Convincing Erasa his jetcopter was a one-seater, he left school and made his way down the street.

* * *

><p><span>[Somewhere in Satan City]<span>

"_Man I'm glad Bulma convinced Mom to let me get my license and gave me a jetcopter for a cover." _Even with people learning about _Ki,_ they're nowhere near the point of people not getting completely mind-blown when seeing what Gohan can do, namely flying. Master Roshi mentioned something about seeing a few weak _Ki Blasts_ being used in martial arts competitions that were televised, it shows growth but nowhere near the Z Fighter level.

Gohan turned another corner before being pulled out of his thoughts when he noticed someone was following him. Turning another corner Gohan quickly moved to the buildings rooftop. Videl who had been following had been thinking to herself as she watched him turn another corner, _"That's weird. He says he lives far away, but now he's walking home." _Looking around the corner he went around she was shocked to find no one in sight. Quickly making her way around the corner she started looking around frantically. _"Wh...Where did he go?"_

Looking down on her from above Gohan watched as she searched for him. _"She's following me? What's with this girl? But I guess she's persistent, I'll give her that."_

* * *

><p>Flying towards his home on Nimbus, Gohan contemplated his current situation. Everyone is talking about the <em>Gold Fighter,<em> but Gohan can't just not help when he sees trouble. Then there's Videl, the Hero's daughter. She was already chasing him around, but maybe if he could give her something else to chase then he would be off the hook. Coming up with a plan, Gohan changed his direction heading for Capsule Corporation. He knew Bulma would be willing to help him out with this. Now the problem was getting his mother to let him go around saving the day. _"But if I convince her my grades won't drop, I'm sure she'll be okay with it."_

**A/N: Alright second chapter. The new guy Ronnie just an OC, but you'll be seeing a bit of him. Gohan is a bit better at controlling his strength in my fic then in the anime. Sharpner isn't so much of an ass, I know people love the Sharpner bashing but I think he could be a good friend to Gohan. Next chapter you'll get to see my Gohan superhero version. Will I go with saiyaman, gold fighter, or something else. I like the originality that comes with Gohan's superhero alter-ego, I hope you'll like mine. **


	4. A Hero Appears!

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 3: A Hero Appears!**_

Gohan arrived at Capsule Corp. and explained his situation to Bulma. She had suggested Gohan could just not fight the baddies, but she knew that was pointless. It was in his blood to do the right thing even at the cost of his own life. So after a, not so pleasant, encounter with the Prince of Saiyans and some play time with the young Trunks. Gohan was back in Bulma's private lab.

"Well, here you go kiddo," Bulma said handing him his new watch.

"Great, so how does it work?" he questioned, strapping it to his wrist, and eying it curiously.

Bulma took a moment to inhale from her cigarette and ashing it into her nearby ashtray. "Well you weren't really specific on what you wanted, besides it changing your clothes, but I took the initiative and took it a step farther. Why don't you try hitting the blue button?"

"Cool Mom. Can I have one too?" questioned an excited Trunks as Gohan did as he was told.

A humming noise could be heard coming from the watch, then a sudden light enveloped his body. When the light vanished and he looked down at himself, he was surprised in a good way. He wore comfortable golden boots which resembled the saiyan uniform, black _Gi_ pants with a golden belt. The upper part of his body was covered by a tight black muscle shirt, with sleeves that reached right above his elbow. And wore gold and black saiyan armor over the shirt, the saiyan armor only having one shoulder pad on his left shoulder. Lastly, Gohan could feel a mask covering the majority of his face, mostly covering the eyes and nose, and two points coming down to cover his cheeks a bit; and matching the mask he had gold wrist bands.

Gohan smiled brightly before saying, "This is great Bulma."

"Ha ha, I know kiddo, but you haven't even seen the best part," Bulma replied back smug smile in place. Gohan looked confused and looked at Trunks for an answer but saw he was still amazed. Bulma solved his confusion by handing him a mirror.

That's when Gohan noticed the teal eyes and golden blonde hair. "Wait, how? I haven't transformed into a _super saiyan_ yet."

Bulma's smile grew from smug to conceited as she began her explanation. "Yeah, that's what the mask does, so make sure not to loose it. I figured you going around as a _super saiyan_ beating up criminals would be over-kill. So as long as you look like your _super saiyan _self, it should work right?"

"Wow Bulma, you've outdone yourself this time." Gohan replied happily.

Bulma put her cigarette out with a conceited smile still in place. "Of course, I am a genius after-all."

Gohan chuckled while hopping out the window and calling Nimbus. Landing safely on his golden cloud Gohan turned to the Brief Family seeing him off. "Thanks again Bulma," he said before taking off.

"Bye Gohan, come visit again, like soon," shouted an increasingly disappointed Trunks. "Man there he goes."

Bulma placed a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder and led him towards the kitchen. "Don't worry Trunks you'll see him again soon," she told him. She knew how much Trunks looked up to Gohan, always wanting an older brother of his own like Goten has. But when those three get together you can't even tell Trunks isn't one of their siblings, they treat him just like a brother.

Gohan flew over West City headed back east when an idea hit him. _"Hey, with my new outfit I could fly home."_ Satisfied with his idea Gohan hopped of Nimbus and pressed the button on his watch, transforming his clothes into his new crime fighting outfit. "Race you Nimbus," is all Gohan said before racing through the city and back towards Satan City. The magical golden cloud right on his trail, for the most part.

* * *

><p><span>[Skys above Satan City]<span>

Arriving in Satan City, Gohan looked behind him to find the Nimbus gone. "Ha left that cloud in the dust." But before Gohan could take delight in his victory, he heard the sound of screeching tires as a car dangerously raced through traffic. Deciding to make an appearance in his new superhero costume, Gohan quickly descended to the road below. Landing in the middle of the street in front of the crazed driver, caused him to skid to a stop mere inches from him. The crazed driver and his passenger quickly stepped out of their car anger written allover their faces.

"What's the deal bub, get out of the road. You crazy or somethin'?" screamed the driver.

Gohan made sure his voice was deep before speaking, trying to sound like an intimidating hero. "And you should follow the rules of the road. The way you were driving you could have hurt someone."

"You're the only one about to get hurt punk, who the heck do you think you are huh?" questioned the other man quite rudely.

"_Hmm, I haven't really thought of a name. The Gold Fighter isn't bad, but kinda long. AH! I've got it." _The two men watched kinda annoyed as Gohan thought silently to himself, but before saying anything, he snapped his fingers. Gohan lifted his arms horizontally to his left side, while raising his right knee, "People have called me the _Gold Fighter..._" running in place for a moment, he dramatically stopped in a running position, "I have come to help the people of this city..." standing straight he crossed his arms in front of him and then got into a fighting position before finishing, "I am Saiyaman!" he announced to all who watched. _"That was good. Hope those ginyu moves weren't too much" _he thought to himself.

The two reckless drivers just looked at each other before bursting with laughter. "Ha ha ha, that's great and what are you, some kind of traffic clown," one of the men said in-between laughs.

"Singingman huh? That's great." the other man continued.

Gohan's face was turning red from anger from these two insulting him. Gohan stomped down on the road, screaming, "It's S-A-I-Y-A-M-A-N..." he articulated, before stomping again. This time he caused cracks in the asphalt. The two men watched stunned as the cracks made their way towards their car, and the tire sunk into the road a bit. "I thought hard about that name."

The two men paling at the sight of his anger, began sweating as they apologized profusely, "Oh and it's a great name Mister Saiyaman, I just didn't hear you clearly the first time."

Gohan stood straight naively thinking that it was just a simple mistake. "Well, I guess that makes sense."

"Yes and sorry about driving so recklessly. What was we thinkin'?" the driver said trying to seem innocent.

Gohan being satisfied with their apology picked their car up out of the little rut, before placing it back on the road. After reminding the two to follow the laws, they quickly but carefully drove away. The passenger reminding the driver to go slowly. Proud of the job he did, he took off into the sky again; bystanders taking pictures with their phones and cameras. Well with that a new hero has made his debut in Satan City. What will tomorrow hold for our young hero?

* * *

><p>[Son Residence]<p>

Gohan woke up with a weight continuously bouncing on his stomach, followed by fast incoherent shouting, ".."

Seeing his older brother stretching, Goten stopped his hopping. Gohan smiled and patted his head. "Okay Squirt let me get ready and I'll be right down."

Satisfied with his answer Goten made his way downstairs. Gohan showered and thought back on his night. His Mom had been angry with him being late but excepted that he was helping people. After reassuring her a hundred and two times that fighting crime wouldn't interfere with his study's, she allowed it as long as he was sure to be careful. Goten was overjoyed to here his brother was a superhero. The hyperactive saiyan kept going on about being like his older brother when he grows up. All in all it all worked out. _"Guess Mom mellowed out a bit after Dad died," _Gohan thought sadly.

Making his way into the kitchen he greeted his mom and began eating along side his baby brother. Placing the last of the dishes on the table, Chi-Chi took her seat. "Hurry and eat Gohan. We don't want you being late on your second day."

Gohan finished eating and went outside with his mom and brother. "Well I'll be going now. Oh, Goten you can go ahead and use Nimbus."

"Wow really, That's awesome." Goten shouted. Chi-Chi smiled down at her son happily. He is just like Goku was as a kid.

Gohan pressed the button on his watch and changed his clothes to become Saiyaman. "Cool!" announced Goten. Gohan just laughed as he took off into the air, his mom reminding him not to fly too fast. Gohan made it to Satan City in no time, realizing flying himself cut the travel time a lot. Now he had more time to fight crime or grab a second breakfast. Proceeding with the latter, he got himself a snack and walked to school in his school clothes.

* * *

><p><span>[Orange Star High]<span>

Making it to school with time to spare, he made his way to class and took his seat. Surprisingly Videl and Erasa were already there. He figured they wouldn't be the type to come to school and sit in class early. But like they say, you can't judge a book by it's cover.

"Hi, Gohan," Erasa said happily as he took his seat.

"Good morning Erasa...Videl," Gohan said waving to each.

Erasa smiled, but Videl stared at him for a moment. She still couldn't figure out how he disappeared yesterday. "Gohan."

"_Well I guess that's better then her just staring at me," _thought Gohan.

Gohan spent the rest of the time he had listening to his classmates. The rumors about Saiyaman had spread fast. People were even cautious to get the name right after hearing how the superhero got angry at his name being mispronounced. Gohan was a bit embarrassed that his outburst was even brought up. He could hear talk about his new outfit and Erasa hearing more and more about the hero continued to question Videl on the subject, but she of course just kept ignoring the questioning.

When the teacher walked in and class began, Videl continued to think in peace. _"Gohan is definitely suspicious. But could he really go around flying and doing all those other crazy things. Dad kept claiming they were tricks, but after __Groundbreaking Science__ was introduced to the world; he started saying he could still do those tricks. I never see my dad train so I can't say for sure, but I haven't been able to figure this energy business out." _

Videl had bought the book as soon as she heard of it, but no matter how detailed it was it was still hard to figure out how to harness that energy. Of course the book mentioned that too. All the years she spent trying to find someone who could give her some advice and he just comes flying out of the sky. Not knowing who he was is a problem though. How could she trust him, if she didn't even know who he was.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her watch phone began beeping. The teacher stopped his lecture and the whole class looked her way. Gohan was curious as to why everyone was watching. He figured the teacher would say something because accepting calls during class was against the school rules. But the teacher said nothing as Videl answered her call.

"Go ahead Chief."

"Videl, a group of hijackers, have taken over a bus at the bus terminal. It's filled with senior citizens who were going on a tour of the city," announced the police chief.

"Calm down, I'll be right there." And with that she ran to the door calling to the teacher, "Sorry, can I be excused?"

But she was out of the door before he could answer, leaving him talking to himself. "Well actually...There she goes. Alright class..." the teacher simply began droning on again as the class settled back to what they were doing, leaving a confused Gohan.

Leaning closer to Erasa he whispered, "Where's she off to?"

Erasa just giggled and whispered back, "She's off to help the police, silly. She's always going out there and saving us from the baddies."

"What all by herself? Isn't that dangerous?" Gohan replied back shocked. This girl was going out and saving the day. Now that he thought about it, the first time he saw her was at that bank incident.

"Don't worry about it Nerd-Boy, Videl can take care of herself. She can bench as much as me and some people say she's as strong as her father." Said Sharpner with confidence. Not sure what he was confident about.

"_As strong as her father? I'm just worried she's as weak as her father. I should get out of here."_ Gohan got up and quickly made his way out of the room trying not to look too rushed. "Sorry, I need to go to the bathroom." he said before leaving without a reply.

* * *

><p><span>[With Videl]<span>

Videl made her way towards the bus terminal in her jetcopter and made it just in time to watch the bus full of elderly waving back at the police force that followed after them. She quickly followed after them as well. One of the hijackers fired his gun out of an open window, causing the police cars in pursuit to crash. Videl flew over the scene and quickly made her way to the bus by air.

"Yeah go get em' Videl!" shouted one of the officers.

The young crime fighter lowered her jetcopter just above the bus. She slowly slowly made her way out of her vehicle and jumped on top of the moving bus. Gohan who had just made it to the scene, due to getting lost a bit, watched the girl as she worked. _"Wow she's brave. Not many people risk themselves for others like this,"_ Gohan thought as he watched.

The leader of the hijacking bunch didn't agree with Videl messing up their get away. Videl, trying to make her way to the front of the bus, was interrupted by bullets shooting out from the bus roof. She began running the opposite directions with the bullets right on her tail. When the gunfire stopped and the leader went to reload, Videl quickly swung herself through one of the windows feet first. Still hanging by her hands, she used her momentum to kick her assailant in the face.

The leader flew towards the front of the bus and landed on his partner that wasn't busy driving. All the while the elderly people on the bus watched in excitement as they watched the young heroine whip some bad guy tail. Gohan continued to watch on, as long as she didn't need his help there was no reason to interfere.

Videl didn't give the criminals the time to start firing their guns again, as she pounced on them and began beating the two goons senseless. With a misplaced kick the goon driving the bus went down along with the other two. After finishing up and dusting off her hands she turned seeing the senior citizens cheering for her.

"How about a picture dear?" asked one of the elderly ladies.

Videl took a pose but before the picture could be taken an old man spoke up, "Um Videl? Whose driving?"

Videl quickly taking in the situation saw as the bus careened of a cliff. Everyone began screaming. Videl covered her head expecting the end. _"So this is how it ends for me?"_ But when there was no crash, nor pain, she looked around a bit. Realizing they weren't falling anymore she looked around, looking out a window beneath the bus, she found the source of what kept them from death. Smiling up at her was the _Gold Fighter_, or as he's now known, Saiyaman. Gohan was glad he caught the bus in time. He slowly descended and brought the bus down carefully at the bottom of the cliff.

Videl and all the passengers of the hijacked bus stepped off to face their hero. Videl stepped forth cameras flashing behind her. Gohan had to admit she looked a bit innocent right now, the way she smiled at him. "Who are you?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course I'll tell you who I am..." he said in his deep hero voice. Videl smiled, happy he would actually tell her, as Gohan stepped back before doing a couple poses and dropping into his stance. "I am the Great Saiyaman," he finished saying.

Videl stared incredulously at the superhero in front of her. _"What's with those lame moves? And is he just messing with me?"_ Before could she could voice her thoughts, Saiyaman began taking off. Gohan thought Videl was awestruck and decided to leave it at that.

"Well then, see you later Videl" _"Doh, why did I say that."_

Videl watched him fly off while yelling after him, "Hey I'm not done with you yet, and how do you know my name?" _"Great there he goes again, but you can't run from me forever."_

**A/N: So there's Saiyaman. He's using those goofy ginyu moves for now but their not quite as bad as the anime. Now that I have the beginning out of the way it's time for things to pick up. It will still be a bit slow for a couple of chapters but things will get exciting real soon. **


	5. The Chase

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 4: The Chase**_

Yesterday had been eventful, to say the least. After helping Videl with the hijacking, he returned to school. But Videl ended up hearing about Gohan's disappearance during his extended bathroom trip. He managed to convince them he was simply feeling ill because of something he ate. Seeing how much he ate on his first day they seemed to except it, for the most part. Videl had still been eying him suspiciously all day.

"_Hopefully today will turn out better, but I need a way to get Videl off my back," _Gohan thought as he flew over the mountainside, making his way to school for his third day. Everything has been fine so far. He's kept his physical abilities in check and has been suppressing his power level to average human levels. He's had fun so far, besides Videl trying to figure out who Saiyaman was.

Entering the city in his superhero alter-ego, Gohan flew overhead heading to school. Noticing another presence in the sky Gohan looked to his side to find a yellow jetcopter. Taking a closer look he realized it was Videl's jetcopter.

Videl noticed Saiyaman as well. Looking at him from her vehicle she expressed her thoughts out loud, "Its Saiyaman. Where's he going?" _"Alright Mister Saiyaman let's have a talk."_

Gohan had veered his course to get out of Videl's sight but he was shocked to find her following him. _"Not good."_ Speeding up, he tried to lose her; but she was right on his tail. Descending into the city, he quickly made his way through the streets. Videl wasn't so easy to ditch though. She showed off her piloting skills by following right behind him. She caused a traffic jam as she narrowly stopped before hitting the street and followed after Saiyaman. _"Your not getting away from me."_

Gohan continued flying down the street looking behind him. _"Man, she doesn't give up, but why is she chasing me? I'm not the bad guy," _he was thinking when he came up with an idea. He stopped in mid-air and turned to face the incoming Videl.

Videl watched as Saiyaman stopped in front of her and began waving at her. Shocked by the sudden action, she hit her breaks so she wouldn't slam into him. Her jetcopter was about to hit him when suddenly he vanished before the impact. Videl hovered in place for a moment collecting her thoughts. _"Wha?...Wait, how could I forget he could do that?" _she thought angrily. Looking around quickly for any signs of him she found nothing.

Peeking out from behind a tree in Satan Park, Gohan kept an eye out for Videl. Deciding he had lost her and make his way to school, he turned just in time to see Videl landing her jetcopter right in front of him. Hopping out, she marched up to Saiyaman determination and anger blazing in her eyes.

"Okay Saiyaman, no more running," she demanded. "Now tell me who are you? And where did you learn all that stuff?"

Gohan shook off his surprise before speaking, "But how did you find me?"

Videl smiled proudly at herself. "I used the scouter system in my watch..." she said showing him the watch, "Figured a guy like you must have a pretty high power level. And come to find your power level is one of the highest in the city."

Gohan had completely forgotten about the scouters. She must have gotten a custom watch. _"Damn that Bulma for introducing those things to people."_ Luckily for him he keeps his _power level_ pretty low even in his superhero form to avoid hurting the criminals too badly. If he had to guess his level is about 300 or so when he's not fighting crime.

"So Saiyaman, I'm waiting." _"His power level is higher then Dad's. But maybe Dad's just holding back his power, I did read something about hiding your power in 'Groundbreaking Science'."_

Gohan straightened up after hearing her explanation and thought of a way out of this. "Alright, you seem like you can be trusted..." he said taking a few steps back, "I am..."

Before Gohan could finish, Videl interrupted him. "And you better not give me that Saiyaman crap and those lame moves." she said stepping close to him. Leaning in she looked him in the face and in a soft voice, Gohan had never heard her use, she asked, "Who are you really?"

Gohan leaned back, a bit uncomfortable with her close proximity to his face. "Um...I..." _"Lame moves?"_ but he didn't finish instead he went with plan B. He jumped over her head to her jetcopter and lifted it.

"Hey what are you doing!" she exclaimed. "That's stealing!" she added as she watched Saiyaman take off into the air and placed her machine on a roof right near the park.

"Not stealing, just relocating," he informed her. "See you in a little while," he finished saying before flying off to school. _"Great are you trying to get yourself caught."_

Videl was fuming. You could almost see the steam coming from her ears. "That big JERK! The next time I see him I'm punching him right in the face," she yelled to no one in particular as she stomped her way to her jetcopter.

* * *

><p><span>[Orange Star High]<span>

At school class had been going for thirty minutes when Videl burst through the door. The whole class turned their attention to the late arrival.

"Sorry I'm late Mr. Finch," she said with a bit of annoyance in her tone.

"That's quite alright Ms. Videl. I understand your community service can hold you up sometimes. Please take your seat," replied Mr. Finch, turning his attention back to the Science book in front of him.

Videl quickly made her way to her seat not bothering to tell the teacher why she was actually late. The thought still angered her. When Videl sat down Erasa turned to her and greeted her best friend. Videl returned her greeting and then Sharpner spoke.

"Hey Videl. So what's going on between you and Gohan? I couldn't help noticing you two both came in late."

Gohan shuddered as Videl's gaze turned to him. "Gohan came in late this morning?" _"Well that's quite a coincidence,"_ she thought glaring at him and nibbling on the tip of her pen.

"What? I just woke up late this morning. There's nothing going on between us, is there Videl?" Gohan said in his defense, scratching the back of his head in the Son Family manner with a goofy smile on his face.

Completely forgetting about Sharpner's implications, she snapped out of her thoughts. "Of course not," she firmly confirmed. _"But I still know Gohan's hiding something."_

With the conversation settled they went on with class as usual. During lunch Gohan ate as he listened to everyone as they talked. He learned that the two girls Erasa and Videl were talking with were named Jane and Doris. Those two could talk almost as much as Erasa. Sharpner and his two friends Ken and Tim talked about their after school activities. Sharpner was in the Boxing Club, Ken joined Football, and Tim the baseball team; which even for freshman are doing well. Ronnie seemed like he wasn't much for conversation at the moment and was glaring at Gohan most of the time.

Gohan ignored his glaring but when Videl added her suspicious glares, he began feeling uncomfortable. Luck was with Gohan though. Lunch went by pretty fast and in no time they were in gym class. Having seen the game of Basketball on his first day, the Coach decided to do some Basketball for their first gym activity. Most of the girls weren't too happy about this, but the boys were okay with it. They spent the class time exercising and doing drills to learn the basics to Basketball. The basics are always key to becoming great was the Coach's motto.

School ended without much problem. Gohan was walking along with Sharpner, Videl and Erasa as they walked off school campus. Suddenly Erasa's gossip was cut off by the beeping of Videl's watch.

Looking into her video phone Videl spoke, "What can I do for you Chief?"

"Sorry Videl, but we could use your help. We're in pursuit of three trucks with stolen equipment. Their giving us a hard time," replied the Chief.

Videl got serious, quickly taking out her jetcopter, she jumped in saying, "I'm on my way."

She was gone before anyone could say anything. Erasa looked after her a bit worried but her friend could take care of herself so she turned to the two boys saying, "Well what should we do?"

Sharpner shrugged, "I was gonna go work out. "

Gohan watched after Videl. He couldn't sense any high power levels but three trucks might be a little tough for her. "Sorry guys I should get going, got a long way home," he said taking his leave.

"Okay bye Gohan," Erasa called back. "Too bad. We should get him to hang out with us."

Sharpner started walking off too saying, "A nerd like him probably thinks studying is a good way to hang out."

"Sharpner be nice to Gohan, he's a nice guy," Erasa argued defending Gohan.

* * *

><p><span>[Somewhere in Satan City]<span>

Videl caught up to the high-speed chase but when the trucks split into three different directions, Videl's troubles started. "Crap," she cursed, "Chief I'm going straight, send your units after the other two trucks," she ordered through her police radio.

"Roger that," was all she heard before she took off after the truck that kept going straight. The Police split into two groups and chased after the others. Saiyaman was following Videl's _Ki_ when he noticed that the sound of police sirens was coming from two separate directions and Videl was going in another direction entirely.

"They must have split up," Gohan mused to himself when as he was floating in place. "Now who should I help first?"

Thinking it over he decided to help the police first. Videl could handle a few weak thieves. Heading towards the sound of sirens, Gohan took off. When he caught up with the police, he saw they were right on the truck's tail but couldn't quite stop them.

Suddenly the back of the truck opened enough for a man to be seen. He lifted his right hand, covered in a metallic black glove, and aimed it towards the police. The man grunted before forming a ball of light in his hand. Gohan's eyes were wide as saucers. _"What was that!"_

The man fired of his energy blast. Seeing this the police hit their breaks to avoid the blast, but Saiyaman appeared before them. With both his hands out in front of him, he caught the energy ball. Spreading his arms out wide he took control of the energy and split it into two. Bringing his arms back forward, he threw the energy blast towards each of the truck's tires; the two blasts crossing their paths before impact.

The truck came to a crashing halt against a building wall. Four men from inside the truck came out holding their heads. The man with the black glove, looked at Saiyaman before lifting his arm again. Feeling the sudden spike in _Ki_ Gohan quickly moved next to the man with inhuman speed. He grabbed the mans wrist with his left and turn the mans arm at at his elbow, sending the blast harmlessly into the air. While Saiyaman pulled the man's glove off, he tried to throw a punch with his left to stop him. Gohan simply caught the man's fist with his right hand.

Seeing the other three men try to sneak off, Gohan sent the man he was dealing with flying with a well placed kick to his side. The man flew into his cohorts knocking them all to the ground. Choosing this time to step in, the officers ran to the thieves and began apprehending them.

Gohan stared at the glove in his hand. _"Weird. This glove somehow allowed him to fire Ki Blasts. But he was a normal weakling otherwise."_ Thinking about it perplexed him but he placed the glove on his belt for later. That's when it came to him. If this guy had this kind of weapon, for a lack of a better word, do the others as well. Turning on his heel towards Videl's _Ki_ he could sense she was fighting. "Hold on Videl, I'm on my way," he said as he took off.

* * *

><p><span>[A few minutes earlier]<span>

As Videl caught up with the thieves truck she tried pushing them off the road to get them to stop. Nothing she did seemed to work though. Deciding on a different approach, she sped up in front of the truck before turning around and heading right for it.

The thief in the passenger seat stuck his torso out of the window and aimed his hand clad in a black glove at Videl's incoming jetcopter. Videl watched as his hand produced a small glowing orb and it fired towards her. _"That's..."_

Videl's thoughts were interrupted by the blast coming in contact with her vehicle. Videl quickly jumped from the jetcopter landing harshly on the road, she rolled to a stop.

An explosion set the machine ablaze as it came crashing into the road. The truck came to a stop as Videl got back on her feet. _"Well at least they stopped."_

A few men came out of the truck and faced the young crime fighter. Three of the men stepped closer to Videl while one of them spoke up. "Don't waste your energy. We'll take care of the girl."

Videl smirked and stood tall. Placing her fists on her hips, she spoke proudly, "Do you have any idea who your dealing with? I'm the Champ's daughter."

Before any of them could reply she took off towards the criminals. One of them pulled out a pistol and fired at her. Zigzagging to avoid the bullets, Videl quickly closed the distance. Standing on one leg, she kicked her left leg straight up; knocking the gun into the air. The other two got into fighting positions. A bulky man to her right threw a heavy punch towards her head.

Quickly spinning on her heel she redirected his punch with her arms and with a well placed back roundhouse kick to the head with her right leg, sent him crashing to the pavement. The other two began throwing punches at her simultaneously, but Videl continued to avoid or block them. The man watching the scene got tired of the show since they were running low on time, so he decided to remedy the situation.

Aiming an energy blast towards the fighting group, he fired. Videl turned to see the approaching attack, but couldn't move in time to dodge. Luckily she didn't have to. Saiyaman appeared in the nick of time to send the energy ball into the air.

"What?" muttered the surprised crook.

"Phew, that was close," Gohan said while wiping his brow with his forearm.

Videl snapping out of her daze, turned to the two thieves who were attacking her a moment ago. With a jab combo and an uppercut the two dropped to the ground unconscious. She then turned to face Saiyaman directing a glare at him, which he noticed.

"Hi there Videl. I thought you could use a hand," he said trying to be friendly.

Videl knew he just saved her butt, but she wasn't gonna let him have the satisfaction. "Who needs a flying clowns help? I was doing just fine, so stay out of my business."

"_Man what's with this girl," _he thought as he began getting irritated. He turned to her and since she was about a head shorter then him, he was looking down at her. "You could say thanks you know? I am just trying to help out. Why do you treat me like the bad guy?" he argued back.

Videl was a little shocked he was actually arguing back but that wasn't enough to stop her. Rising on her tiptoes she got right in his face. "That's because I can't trust some goof running around in a mask. Who knows when you'll decide to play the bad guy?"

As the two argued the final crook was getting annoyed. They were just ignoring him. _"I'll teach them to show some respect,"_ he thought to himself. Raising his and the man began breathing harshly as he tried gathering energy for an attack. Gohan noticing this could feel the man's _Ki_ rise but then drop just as quickly.

"_I see he's forcing his Ki. If he keeps this up he could seriously hurt himself." _Finishing his thought he raised his hand and fired a small _Ki_ blast at the mans hand. Videl noticing that Saiyaman wasn't paying attention anymore looked to where his hand was raised in time to see the blast come in contact with the man's gloved hand.

There was some kind of short-circuit in the man's glove as sparks and flames covered it. The man quickly threw the glove to the ground. Looking up at Saiyaman all he saw was a knee headed for his face. Videl's knee crashed into the man's face and knocked him out.

Turning to face Saiyaman she began again. "What exactly was that about?"

Gohan really wasn't in much of a mood to talk. He couldn't figure it out. Somehow these guy's got their hands on strange gloves that allowed them to force their energy out and increasing it's power. Though it looked like they could only fire it a few times before becoming exhausted, which would make sense. They were just forcing out their own life-force.

"Hello Saiyaman, I'm talking to you," Videl said trying to snap him out of his thoughts .

Just then the Chief and a few other police cars arrived. Stepping out of his car the Chief made his way over to the two crime fighters. "Is everything alright here?"

Videl looked at him and spoke, "Yeah everything's fine. What happened with the other two trucks?"

"Well Saiyaman helped us out with one and I'm guessing he came here next, since I got a report that the last truck managed to escape."

Videl turned back to Saiyaman this time. "So you came here instead of getting that other truck? What were you thinking?"

Saiyaman finally faced her. The seriousness in his eyes caused her to reel back. "I came here because you were in trouble. Those gloves those men were using allowed them to fire energy blasts..."

Before he could continue Videl interrupted. "You mean I could use those to fire those blasts? I knew it!" she said very excitedly.

"No!" Saiyaman ordered rather then said. "Forcing out your energy can be dangerous. It could even kill you. This technology is no good." Turning to the Chief he continued. "What was in those trucks?"

That Chief was a little shocked due to the sudden question. Videl too. Not trying to anger the super powered hero anymore he answered. "Well they had high-end parts and circuits."

"Tch, I had a feeling. Who ever hired these guys was trying to get their hands on more resources to try and improve this technology." Gohan thought for a moment.

Videl let the information sink in. "So someone is trying to mass produce these dangerous weapons?"

"that's what it looks like. But for what?" Turning to Videl he pulled out the glove he had held on to. "Sorry Miss Videl, I would like to stay and argue..." he started in a sarcastic tone, "But I need to get this to a friend so they can have a look at it."

Videl rolled her eyes at the arguing part, then looked at the glove in his hand as he began taking flight. "Wait a second, that's police evidence. You can't just take that."

"Don't worry if I find out anything I'll let you know, if not I'll give it to you so you can do whatever with it. Well except use it."

Not really having much idea what to do with the glove she reluctantly agreed. "Fine."

And with that Saiyaman flew into the sky. Police officers and Videl watched him as he flew away. _"That jerk makes me so angry. I'll definitively find out who you are. And I've already got a pretty good idea. You'll slip up sooner or later," _she thought growing a confident smirk at the end of her thoughts.

As Videl turned to her jetcopter her face paled and her eyes almost shot out of their sockets. Her jetcopter was burned to a crisp and pieces fell off. "Aw great, now I have to get it fixed," she said angrily as she stomped her way to it so she could capsulize it.

**A/N: So here you go. A little Videl/Saiyaman trouble. Just so you know the whole Gohan/Videl thing is gonna take some time. It wouldn't be any fun if they fell in love during the first few chapters. Signs of a new enemy. The first enemy Videl and Saiyaman face. Hmm...guess that's all. Don't ask too many questions the whole technology in the gloves thing will be explained later. **


	6. Friendly Encounter

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 5: Friendly Encounter**_

* * *

><p><span>[Satan City]<span>

The first week of school is over. Things weren't looking too good for Gohan, though. There was another incident on Friday, with criminals who were using those strange gloves. To top it off he had to deal with Videl's constant staring at school. He knew he was her top suspect for the identity of Saiyaman, she was good he had to admit. But he has to find a way to drop the suspicion from him.

Bulma had been given the mysterious glove and she said she'd let him know when she finds something. Other then telling him this was complicated stuff she didn't really have much else information at the time. Hopefully she could figure something out soon.

It was Saturday and Gohan was walking down the streets of Satan City. He had to admit the excitement and rush of people in the city was thrilling. Like any second he would run into something to do, hopefully no trouble to deal with. Gohan hasn't really gotten a good look at the city, at least for fun. He wondered what his friends do on the weekends, well at least he considers them friends. Looking a bit down the street he was walking he saw someone familiar. _"Well speak of the devil. Literally," _Gohan thought to himself amused by his little joke.

Just a ways down from where Gohan was walking was Videl. She was hunched over a table outside of a store, that seemed to be promoting something. As Gohan got closer he was surprised. Videl had an overjoyed look on her face. Her eyes sparkled with child like innocence, and her face seemed to brighten up Gohan's whole day.

Videl was unaware of anyone looking at her. At the moment she was in a world of joy. Its a secret she has only told to three of her female friends. Videl was a tough tomboy, who loved to fight, and was proudly independent. But she had one side of her, that if people knew, would never see Videl the same. She loved to collect _PoiToys. _They are a brand of stuffed animals produced by capsule corporation. Their small but they were the cutest thing in the world to her, they had many different designs and once maybe twice a year a new one came out. Many girls and young children collect _PoiToys_ but Videl would never let people find out she did. Heck if someone saw her collection they'd be speechless, she has everyone except the newest one that just came out. That's why she was so excited, she almost felt like a kid again.

But Videl's happy world came crashing down around her when a familiar voice said, "Oh the new _PoiToy. That ones cute."_

Videl face fell into complete shock. She slowly turned her head to see Gohan looking over her shoulder. "G...G...Gohan! What are you doing here!" she shouted, a bit loudly for Gohan's liking.

He simply lifted the bags he was carrying full of what looked like groceries and said, "Shopping for my mom. What about you?"

Videl looked left and right trying to find anyway out of this situation. Deciding she's not obligated to explain anything to him, she turned and began walking away fast calling back, "Nothing, just forget it."

Looking in Videl's direction then turning back to the _PoiToy _on the table he thought to himself. _"Didn't she want this? That's weird."_

Having made it a ways down the street already, Videl's face was red with embarrassment. _"I can't believe he saw me eying those damn things. He must think I'm childish. I'm an idiot."_ Before Videl could continue her verbal assault on herself Gohan caught up to her.

"Wait up Videl," he called after her.

"What? Just leave me alone," she demanded rather harshly as she faced him.

Gohan's face showed a hint of sadness. "Oh sorry I just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out a bit. Guess not," he said in a dejected tone.

Videl was struck by guilt. _"Geez, its not his fault he caught me in the worst place possible, but still..."_"Why do you wanna hang out with me?"

She couldn't help notice the bright smile that found its way onto his face. It was that gentle, happy, smile he gave everyone. _"No matter how mean they were to him Gohan always smiled back like that."_

"Well I'm always hanging out with you guys at school and all, but I really haven't hung out with anyone outside the school. Since well I think of you as a friend I thought it would be okay to ask you to show me around a bit. Oh! But you don't have to if you don't feel like it."

Videl was surprised to say the least. He thought of her as a friend. But she's been glaring at him over what he's hiding since he came to school. Then there are her suspicions of him being Saiyaman. Thinking back she really hasn't been nice to him at all. Videl felt bad, not only does he think of her as a friend, but she could tell he was sincere about it. Most of the people she meets want to be her friend to get close to her father or her just because their famous. She never had many real friends since her father became champ and that's why she had trouble trusting people who kept secrets. Yet, here is Gohan, smiling sincerely and asking her just to hang out, nothing more.

Smiling lightly while looking down she crossed her arms, "Alright fine, I guess it can't hurt." When she looked up at him again she continued, "So what did you have in mind?"

Gohan scratched his cheek nervously. "Actually, I don't know much about what to do for fun in Satan City."

"So you didn't even have anything in mind when you asked me?" she confirmed arching an eyebrow at him.

"Not really," but before either one of them could speak again they heard a loud growling noise coming from near by.

"What the..." Videl looked around for a moment before her eyes set themselves on the boy in front of her.

"Guess my stomach knows better then I do. How bout we grab a bite to eat first?" Gohan suggested.

Videl fell head-over-heals in shock. Getting up she looked at him sceptically, "That was your stomach?"

Rubbing his stomach, Gohan just laughed and scratched the back of his head. Shaking her head in disbelief she started walking with Gohan following after her. "Come on there's a nice cafe nearby."

* * *

><p><span>[Nearby Cafe]<span>

When the two made it to the nearby cafe. Gohan took it in for a sec. It had a calm atmosphere, smell of the food drifting out. Not too many people occupied the place, but you could tell it was doing alright. The inside was clean and simple, something Gohan found comfortable. The place was called Hero's Cafe. Probably changed names after Mr. Satan became the worlds hero like the city itself.

"This place is nice," Gohan said as they found a table.

"Yeah its my favorite place, even though they changed the name of the cafe after my father, their still not completely obsessed with him. I know the owner and she just did it for publicity," she smiled a bit happily at that, which Gohan noted.

When the waitress approached, Gohan saw Videl waving at her. Taking a good look at her she was a bit of an older lady, still beautiful though. She had silky brown hair cascading down her back, red ruby lip stick on her lips, large brown eyes. She wore the same maid like uniform that all the waitresses wore.

When she reached the table she smiled kindly at Gohan, who smiled back with a nod, then turned to Videl, "Hey there V, how have you been. I hear you have a new partner in fighting crime. And whose your cute friend? A boyfriend maybe?"

Videl's expression turned from anger, at the mention of Saiyaman, to complete shock, at the boyfriend part. "What? No way. He's just Gohan," she quickly defended and glaring at him for a moment, due to being reminded about Saiyaman. "And for that Saiyajerk, he's no partner just an annoyance."

Gohan blushed at the boyfriend comment but had to admit what she said after that stung a bit. She didn't even say he was a friend and when it came to Saiyaman, she just plain hated him. The waitress looked at Gohan and spoke kindly, "Well its nice to meet you, Gohan. My name is Susan, I'm the owner of this little cafe."

Gohan smiled at her and replied, "Its nice to meet you too. Wow I wouldn't have expected the owner to work here too."

Susan giggled a bit, "Yeah everyone says that, but I just like it. Working hard for the business I love. There's no better way to live."

"Ha ha, that's true."

Videl couldn't help but watch their little exchange. _"Why do I always feel the need to be rude to Gohan. I could have at least said he was a friend,"_ she thought mentally reminding herself not to be such a bitch.

"So what can I get you two?" she asked ready to take their orders.

Gohan looked at the menu for a moment. There were burgers, pasta, pretty much a variety of different foods. "I'll take three Hero Burgers, four orders of fries, a pasta bowl, one of your Sidekick Salads, and a chocolate milkshake," Gohan told her in a nonchalant tone of voice.

Both Videl and Susan stared at him incredulously. Videl snapped out of it first, having seen him eat before. "He's not kidding," she informed Susan. "I'll just take a cream soda and a Caesar salad."

Smiling a bit awkwardly after Gohan's order she wrote down their orders and told them it would be out in a moment. Gohan and Videl sat quietly to wait for their food. Videl was still thinking about why she acts like this around Gohan, she's usually a nice girl. She has a temper she'll admit but that doesn't mean she usually goes around being rude to people. But something about Gohan just gets to her. The slight possibility that he was Saiyaman was one of them.

Gohan wasn't really thinking much. He was just wondering when he could eat. Saiyans can't really seem to think of anything but food when their hungry. As luck would have it, the chefs were fast, and before he knew it he was happily eating his meal. Videl ate at her salad slowly while watching Gohan practically inhale his food. _"Man he can eat. Sharpner even said Gohan was in shape but skinny with his shirt off." _

Videl had asked Sharpner if he was hiding muscles under his clothes since he always wore long sleeved shirts that seemed a little baggy, but Sharpner had told her he wasn't hiding anything. It irked her that Gohan was her top suspect but at the same time he didn't fit the physical profile at all. _"Who am I kidding," _she thought watching Gohan start on his pasta after his second burger, _"Him, Saiyaman? But that doesn't mean he's not hiding something else."_

After Gohan finished his food, which was roughly the same time Videl finished her salad, he stretched and rubbed his stomach. "Man that was good, almost as good as my moms cooking. Well maybe," he said satisfied with his meal, happy son grin in place.

"Geez, for a skinny guy you sure eat a lot," Videl said propping up her head by putting her chin in her left hand.

"Ha ha yeah, fast metabolism."

Videl eyed him curiously for a moment before speaking up again, "So your moms a good cook?"

"Yup the best."

Letting her curiosity get the best of her, she decided to try and get some info from him. "So what's your family like?"

Gohan mused for a moment. Videl thought he was going to ignore her question, but before she could say anything, Gohan made a suggestion. "How about we get some fresh air? Isn't there a park around here somewhere?"

Videl's eyebrow twitched, "Fine let's go to the park."

* * *

><p><span>[Satan Park]<span>

Gohan payed for their food and on their way out Susan bid them farewell for now. The two walked in silence to Satan Park and when they arrived Gohan found a nearby bench and took a seat. Videl watched as he took a deep breath , a content smile spreading across his face. She had noticed Gohan liked the simple things. He wasn't much for the gossip at school, he never joined the guys when they ogled the girls, and he always wrote down notes to every class although he seems to already understand the stuff. She didn't get how someone as smart as him didn't act like everyone around him was an idiot.

Gohan looked over at Videl. She was just standing there watching him, kind of made him uncomfortable. "So you asked about my family right? Well why don't you sit and I'll tell you."

Finally getting what she wanted, answers, she sat down on the bench as well. Not too far but not too close, there was a friendly distance between them. "Alright tell me. It must be kinda rough living way out in the mountains?"

"well I guess you get used to it. It's actually really nice and peaceful out there. Lots of trees, wide open fields, some with beautiful flowers, the mountaintop covered in snow. There's just something about nature that relaxes me."

Videl smiled at that. It really did sound nice. Growing up in the city you kinda forget about how wonderful nature can be. "Wow, sounds great," she admitted.

"Yeah, but its tough with my little brother running all over the place. He has no sense of danger that's for sure. Ha ha but he's a great little guy. Always full of energy, happily smiling, and man can he eat. Even more then me on a good day ha ha ha."

He sounded like he really loved his little brother, she had always wanted a sibling of her own. But when he mention the part about eating more then him, her face faulted. "You have got to be kidding me? Your little brother eats as much as you.?" she asked in disbelief.

Scratching the back of his head he replied, "Ha ha yeah, we inherited my Dad's black-hole of a stomach. That's the main reason my Mom is such a good cook. Feeding my Dad was tough enough but when I started eating like that she had to improve." Gohan chuckled a bit to himself imagining his mom when she first started cooking for dad, she must have had a lot of trouble at first. "But my Mom is great, kinda strict and has a temper I try to avoid, but still she loves us and she only wants the best for us. That's why she was stuffing books into my head since I was old enough to read." Gohan grimaced at the thought. Yeah now he appreciates the knowledge he's gained but back then it was tough studying day in and day out.

Videl couldn't help but smile at how happy he sounded talking about his family. "And? What's your dad like."

She couldn't help but notice the sadness that took over Gohan's expression. But as soon as it came it left and he smiled at her. "Dad was great. The kindest, bravest, and funniest guy I ever knew. I admired him completely. We would always go fishing or he'd take me around to meet the animals around our house. Heck even the animals could tell my dad was a good guy. They would always gather around him when he took a nap outside." Gohan thought back to all the good times he had with his father. "I sure miss him," he said absentmindedly.

That's when Videl noticed he was speaking in past tense. "Miss him? Where's your dad now?" she asked a bit hesitantly, figuring she already knew the answer.

Gohan simply smiled a sad smile at her, and pointed an index finger up. He really didn't feel like saying it out loud. In his heart his father was very much alive. And he still believed his father would return one day, if he said it out loud he'd feel like he'll never see him again.

Videl understood what he meant and suddenly her feet became really interesting. "Sorry."

Videl felt awful. She kept pushing on Gohan to give up his secrets and here she finds out his dad is dead. _"Guess Gohan hasn't had the sheltered life some people think he's had out there in the mountains,"_ she thought. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more. But she decided against prying more secrets out of him. After all, people do have reasons to keep secrets sometimes. _"Maybe i could ease of a bit? But just a bit."_

It was short and simple but Gohan knew she meant it. "Yeah me too." After a short awkward silence Gohan continued, "So what about your family? Any brothers or sisters or what?"

Deciding to share with Gohan, since he was willing to tell her about his family, even the sad parts. "Well I don't have any siblings," she started out a bit of sadness laced in her tone, "But my Dad well you know about him. He can be obnoxious, loud, annoying, and way over protective _'when it comes down to boys'_, but he's not all bad. I mean he's won two championships with his strength and even saved the world," although she said that last part with a bit of skepticism, which Gohan couldn't help but notice. Videl continued, "He can be a pretty nice guy too, I mean all the fame went to his and he's always showboating, but Dad isn't a bad guy. He'd never hurt innocent people. Still he doesn't have to go around with these bimbos, who say they only want to offer him a business deal, when its obvious what they want," she said getting angry.

"I know Moms been away for a while but that's no excuse, just to get attention from females rather then his fans or martial artists."

Gohan thought about what she said, then asked, "Is your mom...you know?"

Videl looked at him before looking straight. "No, I'm lucky. I still have both my parents. But Mom didn't like all the attention of the fame my Dad got. And then he became a attention craving, fame seeking goof. She couldn't take it anymore and they got separated."

"Separated? What's that?" Gohan asked not understanding.

Videl looked at him and she could tell he had no clue. "Seriously for a smart guy your an idiot. It's kinda the step married people take before divorce, you know get unmarried," she added the last part for good measure just in case he didn't know what a divorce is, which Gohan didn't know.

Gohan had no idea people could do that after getting married. As far as he knew when you were married you spend your whole life together for better or for worse. At least that's what his mom taught him. "Oh, that sucks."

"No kidding," she said a bit angrily but sighed to calm herself. "Its not all bad though, I understand why Mom did it, I mean I know she still cares for my father but she just can't deal with how things are now. And Dad isn't actually doing anything with these other women, he just wants the attention. Hopefully someday they decide to get back together."

Gohan smiled reassuringly at her, "Its always good to hope for the best."

Videl was glad he understood. It felt kinda good talking about this kind of thing every once in a while. Usually she would only talk to Erasa about this kinda stuff, but with Gohan's father being dead, her situation didn't seem so bad. "Yeah at least I get to see my mother when she comes home. With our house as big as it is, she still lives with us, but she's away on one of her trips. She's been gone for a little over a year now."

"Trip?" Gohan asked curiously tilting his head on it's side as if to emphasize his confusion.

Videl couldn't help but giggle at the confused look on his face, just like a little kid, but she caught her self quickly. _"Geez, did I just giggle?" _"Yeah my Mom, loves exploring the world. Seeing places others never seen before, trying to solve mysteries that happened on earth, things like that. I've always admired my mom. She's a fighter too you know?"

This bit surprised Gohan a little. "Really? That's cool. You must take after her?"

"Ha ha yeah, I miss my Mom but last time she called she said she'd would be back by summer time. Its gonna be great," she said smiling while watching the sun begin to set.

Gohan had noticed the sun too. "Well its getting kinda late. How about we get some ice-cream and I'll walk you home," he offered with a smile.

"You know I can take care of myself? You don't have to walk me home," she said annoyed because he was treating her like some meek little girl that couldn't go home on her own.

But Gohan merely smiled at her and said, "I know. Your tough enough to handle anything. But still I want to."

Videl couldn't help the smile that made its way onto her lips. Gohan was definitely one of the kindest guys she's ever met. "Alright, but the ice-creams on you," she said smirking at him.

"Ha ha of course," Gohan replied before they both made their way out of the park. It was a simple encounter on a Saturday afternoon, but the two managed to form a friendship, but will this tender friendship last?

**A/N: So my introduction of PoiToys is done you'll be hearing about hear and there. Think of them as beanie babies dbz style. Videl and Gohan gain a basis for a friendship although its still a bit unstable. I did want to add some more into this chapter but it was getting long, so you'll see what happened after the park in my next chapter. Hmm guess that would be a cliff hanger. And a lame one at that. Oh well, gives me a chance to drop in my first flashback. Well R&R, it gives me motivation to keep on writing.**


	7. Guardian Angel

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 6: Guardian Angel**_

The weekend rolled by quickly. It was Monday morning at the Son home on Mount Paozu. Gohan woke up for once without his little brother jumping on top of him. It was 5:30 am. Gohan had woken up early feeling refreshed. _"I slept great," _Gohan thought to himself. Deciding to get up and go for a morning run, Gohan headed outside. After his run and morning shower, Gohan dressed himself for school and went to eat breakfast with his family.

"Well your up early today," Chi-Chi said as she happily placed the last of the food on the table.

Gohan stopped his intake of food long enough to speak. "Yeah, guess I'm just having a good day."

"Good. Then finish your breakfast and head to school."

Gohan gave a nod and started feasting again. In no time Gohan changed into his Saiyaman costume and flew off, his mother and younger brother seeing him off.

Gohan made it to school a bit early. There was no crime in the city this morning, so he could just take it easy. After making his way to his locker, he headed down the hall to his class when he saw Erasa, Videl, and Sharpner. Erasa happened to be looking his way and noticed him at the same time.

"Hey Gohan," Erasa said in her usual bubbly voice.

"Good morning Erasa, Sharpner, Videl," Gohan replied happily.

Sharpner just shrugged and gave him a nod. "Hey Gohan," Videl said with a slight smile, which didn't go unnoticed by her best friend.

"Wow, your actually being nice for once. What's with you today?" Erasa asked teasingly.

Videl looked away annoyed, "What's that supposed to mean? I can't be nice?"

"No, but you've been on Gohan's case since he got here. What's with the sudden one eighty?" Sharpner asked a bit annoyed himself. He didn't like Videl wanting to know so much about the nerd-boy and now she's being nice to him.

"Jeez, what's with you two? If you must know, Gohan and me hung out on Saturday, and he's not so bad." Videl said crossing her arms. Then sending a glare at Gohan she finished by saying, "I still think he's hiding something, and you can't hide it forever."

Gohan smiled at her awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Ha ha maybe." _"Man she never gives up."_

Videl smirked just smirked at his reply. _"Oh I'll definitely figure you out Gohan."_

This made Sharpner mad. He sent a glare to Gohan who was completely oblivious. The nerd-boy hanging out with his Videl. No wonder he couldn't get a hold of Videl when he was gonna ask her out, for probably the hundredth time. Not that he was getting the message.

Erasa watching their little exchange, smiled. "Well, at least you two are getting along. A little bit." Then grabbing Videl by the arm she walked down the hall to their class, the boys following behind. Erasa leaning over to Videl, made sure the boys couldn't hear, and said, "You gotta tell me about it later."

Videl rolled her eyes. Knowing Erasa she'll try to make it seem like a date. That's when Videl thought over her day hanging out with Gohan. They had talked about their family's and gotten to understand each other a bit better. She smiled as she thought about what happened after they left the park.

* * *

><p><strong>[Flashback]<strong>

After leaving the park Gohan and Videl made their way by an ice-cream vendor and picked up some ice-cream. After walking for a bit and enjoying their ice-cream, a peaceful silence between them, they were getting close to Videl's house.

Videl finished her ice-cream happily thinking to herself, _"Gohan's not so bad. He paid for food and ice-cream. Good thing too, I had to use all my allowance this month on getting my jetcopter fixed and tuned up."_

"Man I love ice-cream," said Gohan, breaking the silence, Son grin in place. "How was yours?"

Videl replied his smile with her own. Gohan was a bit surprised, that was the first time he actually saw her smile. "It was great, thanks for buying."

Gohan scratched the back of his head in the Son manner, "Yeah no problem."

Looking ahead Gohan could make out a large mansion with a large wall surrounding it, and the word _"Satan"_ on the large metal gate. Videl noticed what he was looking at. Her house wasn't exactly normal especially since her father decided to put his stage name right on the front gate.

"Wow that's a big house," Gohan mentioned.

"Yeah, no kidding. With tons of useless rooms."

Gohan laughed a bit nervously, "Yeah, well at least its easy to find."

"Yeah how great, everyone knows where I live," she said rolling her eyes.

Both laughed at bit as they approached the large gate. "Well thanks for walking me home, I guess."

"No problem," Gohan replied before remembering. "Oh yeah..." Gohan pulled out a capsule and released it on the ground. When the smoke cleared a couple bags sat there. Rummaging through the bags he found what he was looking for. Videl watched him curiously until he turned to her with something in his hand. "...Here."

Videl looked at what was in his hand and her eyes widened. A blush came to her cheeks as she remembered her embarrassment from earlier. Gohan had the new _PoiToy _she was eying earlier today, when he ran into her. It was a small green and brown, turtle like plushy toy.

"Why do you...have that?" she asked in shocked embarrassment.

Gohan scratched his cheek with his index finger. "Well I noticed you looking at it earlier today and then you just walked off. I figured you wanted it, but didn't want anyone to know, so I guess I kinda ruined your chance to buy it."

Videl looked at him as he fidgeted in place. He seemed to be telling the truth. He wasn't trying to make fun of her or mock her. She looked at the _PoiToy _in his hand and quickly snatched it, then turned her back on him. She could feel her blush growing a bit brighter. Calming down a bit as she looked at the small plushy, she peeked over her shoulder. "I could have just gone back and bought it later. For a nerd your not that smart huh?"

"Oh...yeah, guess you could have. I never even thought about that," Gohan mused.

"You'd better not tell anyone I collect these things, got it?" she said sending him a glare that says I'll kill you if you do.

Gohan smiled gently at her. A smile that would make any girl melt. But Videl wasn't just any girl, she wasn't gonna let Gohan's warm smile and kind nature get to her. "I wouldn't tell anyone, even for all the fame in the world."

Videl couldn't help but smile at that. "Then...Thanks," she said her back still turned to him.

"No problem. Anyway I should get home before my Mom wonders where I'm at," he said grabbing his things and turning to walk away. "I'll see you at school then."

Videl turned around and watched him walk off. "Yeah, see you Monday." Gohan walked off, waving, and Videl looked back down at her new _PoiToy._ Smiling as she thought to herself, _"Yeah Gohan's not so bad."_

**[End Flashback]**

* * *

><p>Classes that day were boring as usual for everyone. Even Gohan couldn't help drawing an occasional picture during his note taking. The young half-saiyan enjoyed his lunch like all saiyans do. Everyone else he sat with just ate and talked away. The day rolled on with Videl wishing she could get out of there even a second sooner.<p>

Sitting in his last class, Gohan listened to the teacher droning on about grammar when Videl's watch went off. Everyone stopped to listen as she answered her video phone. "What is it Chief?"

Gohan listened intently as the gruff voice of the police chief came through the little device. "Some criminals have kidnapped the mayor and are holding him hostage at city hall," the Chief announced frantically.

Gasps went all through the room. "What are their demands?" Videl questioned, putting her negotiation skills to use.

"They want your father. We've tried to get in touch with him but no one is answering at your house," answered the Chief.

"Don't worry I'm on my way." Before the teacher could say a word Videl was out of the room and on her way.

Gohan took a moment to look out of the window and spread his senses across the city. From where he remembered City Hall to be he could sense some average weak criminals, but there was one that was much stronger. This one could cause Videl some trouble.

"Can I go use the restroom?" Gohan asked the teacher while raising his hand.

"NO!" the teacher said firmly, "You seem to have a bad habit of not coming back to class."

Gohan flinched and sat back down. Erasa turned to him and said, "Your gonna have to hold it."

Sitting in his seat he began getting worried. Somehow he has to get out of here to help Videl but how?

* * *

><p><strong>[Meanwhile] <strong>

Videl landed near City Hall right behind the police barricade. As she was stepping out of her replacement jetcopter, the police chief approached her. "Hello Videl, I'm glad you could make it," he said sounding a bit relieved.

"Of course. So what's the situation?" she asked already set to kick some bad guy butt.

As they walked to the front of the barricade the Chief explained. "We have one man holding the Mayor at knife point, another two carrying automatic weapons keeping guard, and there are another three spread out across the area near the front of City Hall. Their Leader is just seated at the front and he looks pretty tough."

"Hmm...So they want my father for a fight?" she wondered aloud.

"Yes," the Chief Replied.

"Then I'll go in," Videl stated firm in her decision.

The Chief's face turned worried at this. "But it's dangerous to go in there on your own."

Videl smirked. "If their Leader just wants a fight, then I'll show him he's no where ready to face my father," she said confidently.

* * *

><p><strong>[Back at Orange Star High]<strong>

Gohan sat anxiously trying to find a way out of school. He thought about just leaving but his mom would certainly punish him for that. Going to the bathroom is out of the question. Worst of all waiting until the end of class would mean Videl could get hurt. _"There's gotta be a way out of here, but how?"_

Unconsciously he began bouncing his leg as his _Ki_ rose due to being flustered. The action went unnoticed until the floors began shaking. When the shaking became more violent and the whole room began shaking everyone but Gohan began to panic.

Erasa was the first to shout, "Earthquake!"

"Everyone take cover under your tables!" the teacher shouted before ducking beneath her own desk.

The students quickly followed the teacher's example. Gohan finally noticed the shaking and his classmates taking cover under their desks. Taking advantage of the situation, Gohan continued raising his energy slowly to keep the room shaking, and made his way out of the room. Quickly making it to the roof Gohan transformed into Saiyaman and took off into the sky. "Hold on Videl, I'm on my way."

* * *

><p><strong>[Back with Videl]<strong>

Videl crossed the barricade and approached the front of the building. This of course caught the crooks attention. The groups leader, who was seated in a chair at the top of the stairs in front of the building, stood up to speak. He was a large bulky man, wearing slacks, a button up shirt, and a sweater-vest. He had short black slicked-back hair, and a mustache that curled up slightly.

"What's this? I ask for Mr. Satan and they send me a girl," the bulky leader announced gruffly.

One of the men standing guard near the mayor took a good look at Videl and approached his boss. "Hey Boss, I think that's Satan's daughter," he warned his boss cautiously.

The leader smiled and eyed the young crime fighter. "So Mr. Satan sends his little girl to fight for him? What a coward," he said mockingly before starting to laugh. His men behind him laughing along.

Videl getting annoyed with the man decided to speak. "Hey bozo! My father doesn't have time to deal with everyone that challenges him. If you really think you can beat him prove it in the ring. Don't pull cheap stunts like this," she angrily proclaimed.

The leader shrugged and said, "I don't have time for that kind of nonsense. But if I have to teach his little girl a lesson to drag him out here, then so be it."

As the leader made his way down the front steps Videl dropped into her stance. The leader did the same when he reached the bottom. "Well then let's see what you can do little girl," the man said.

The second the words left his lips Videl dashed towards him with all her speed. Jumping into the air she put all her momentum into a spinning back kick with her left leg. The leader used his left arm to block and braced it with his other arm. Her heel came in contact with his forearm, but the force knocked the man off balance.

He stumbled a few steps to his right before gaining his balance as Videl landed and dropped back in her fighting stance. Looking at her with a satisfied grin he said, "Not bad, but your gonna have to do better then that."

This time he took the initiative and charged at Videl. He threw a few punches at her which she dodged easily, then came in with a powerful right-hook. Videl put her left arm next to her head to block the attack and her right arm to her side ready to counter with her own punch. His large fist connected with her arm but it didn't go as she planned. The power of the punch knocked her blocking arm into her head and off her feet. Rolling with the force of the attack she used her right arm to spring off the ground, and flipping back onto her feet.

Gohan had just made it in time to watch the large man begin his attack on Videl. Seeing she was doing okay he decided to just take care of the other crooks and help the mayor. Flying down he landed in front of the mayor and his captive.

The crook holding the mayor was stunned completely and exclaimed, "What the..! Where'd you come from?"

Noticing the newcomer Videl and her opponent looked over toward him. One of the plump shorter men standing guard stepped up to Saiyaman, pointing the gun-barrel of his assault rifle towards his face. "Don't move masked freak," he cockily demanded.

Saiyaman glanced at the man to his right before taking the nozzle of the gun in his index and middle finger, then bending it upwards. The man stared at his gun in shock, as did the other crooks watching.

"Now why don't you let the Mayor go so we can make this nice and easy?" he asked the man holding onto the mayor. His superhero voice deep to intimidate the crooks.

The man who's gun was ruined, tossed the useless scrap of metal away, and went to punch the superhero. The man leaped into the air and threw a punch towards the hero's face. Saiyaman easily avoided the man's punch by leaning his body back, then brought his knee lightly up into the man's gut, effectively knocking the man out. Grabbing him by the the back of the shirt before he could fall to the ground, Gohan simply tossed the crook out of the way.

The other guard, who was taller but much skinnier then the previous, aimed his sub-machine gun at Saiyaman and prepared to fire. But Gohan was faster. Noticing his movement, the hero quickly jumped forward and punched the man in the gut before he could fire. The guard dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

Seeing his friends fall without a fight. The captor decided to use their hostage to solve this situation. "Stop now Heroboy or the Mayor is done for," he warned edging the knife closer to the mayor's throat.

Both Videl and Saiyaman looked at the man ready to jump into action. But while Videl was thinking of a way to stop the man, Saiyaman took the initiative. He vanished from sight only to appear behind the man before pulling his knife wielding arm behind his back. This caused the crook to let go of the tied up mayor and scream out in pain.

Videl released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Truthfully, she had no idea what she could have done to free the mayor at that point. But she wasn't going to admit that to Saiyaman. Instead she went with her usual action and yelled at him. "What are you doing interfering with my work, Saiyadork! I can handle this myself!" she shouted at him.

Saiyaman who had already disposed of the crook he was holding with a knife-hand to the back of the neck. Was untying the mayor when Videl shouted out nearly causing him to fall over humorously. _"Saiyadork? Man she can be mean." _Once Gohan had his balance back he retorted, "I'm only here to help Miss Videl."

The leader of the gang, who just watched half his gang get wiped out, wasn't very happy. He decided now was the time to finish Satan's girl so he could deal with the super-powered hero. Reaching into his sweater-vest he pulled out two black gloves, and placed them on his hands.

Noticing the action Videl tore her glare from Saiyaman and looked over towards the gang leader. _"Those gloves are the same as the other ones," _she thought seeing the gloves he was now wearing.

"Well then little girl let's finish this," the leader suggested.

Saiyaman moved to stop the fight but was interrupted by a shout. "Take this!" came the voice of one of the men that was watching until now. He ran up to Saiyaman from his left and fired a rocket launcher at him.

Taking his eyes off the fighting Videl and gang leader, Gohan focused on the incoming projectile. Reaching out his open-palm hand he used his _Telekinesis _ability, taught to him by Piccolo, to stop the rocket in midair. The crook watched in shock as it slowly moved back towards him. "I think you lost something," Gohan said with a cocky smile in place.

The projectile exploded as the man tried to run away. The force of the explosion sent the man flying into the nearby wall. The other two men were running up from opposite sides, taking their turn to try and halt the superhero. Before they could make a move and explosion went off nearby. Gohan quickly turned to see Videl flying out of a cloud of smoke. He felt the burst of _Ki _so he knew she was hit with an _Energy Blast_. "Videl!" Gohan shouted preparing to rush to her side.

Videl hit the ground and rolled into a kneeling position, her fist on the ground keeping her balance. In the middle of exchanging blows with the brute, he fired of a blast while jumping back. Unfortunately, she only had time enough to jump back avoiding most of the damage.

Getting back on her feet she took up a fighting stance. "Stay out of this. I can handle this creep," she said in a threatening tone without looking at Saiyaman.

Gohan stopped himself from jumping to her side when he heard this. The gang leader smirked at the idea. As long as he didn't have to worry about them teaming up on him, he could take them out one at a time. "Well then girly let's see how you plan to beat me," he said egging her on.

Videl launched herself at the man ready to finish this. The leader fired four _Energy Blasts_, two with either hand. Videl bobbed and weaved through the blast closing the distance between the two. Gohan was watching the fight but decided to quickly finish the last two so he has nothing to distract him. Vanishing he knocked out the two men, one after the other, and reappeared in front of the still shocked mayor.

Videl and the gang leader where trading blow for blow. Videl knew now the man was planning on winning this with those gloves. She wasn't gonna lose to someone who had to use weapons like that to be strong. The leader broke their exchange by jumping back, placing his two hands in front of himself, ready to finish this.

The young crime fighter smirked. She was waiting for him to try and pull this move again. Videl watched as the man gathered _Ki _in his palms. Then the man fired shouting, "Eat this!"

Gohan watched as the blast flew towards Videl, but he noticed how calm her spirit was. The blast engulfed the crime fighter in light before causing a ground shattering explosion. The mayor and police who were watching the scene froze in shock. Their city's young crime fighter just got blown to bits. Even the gang leader was starting to laugh at his accomplishment.

Gohan was the only one who wasn't fooled. Hearing Saiyaman whistle in amazement caught everyone's attention. "That's a nice jump," he said looking into the air.

The gang leader's attention quickly found its way to the sky just in time to see Videl coming down on him. "Hya!" she exclaimed as she came down with a heel-drop on his right shoulder. Videl could feel as the man's shoulder broke and he came crashing to his knees, screaming in pain.

Creating a small space between herself and her opponent Videl dropped back into a fighting stance ready to end this. "That's enough. You can't win. Just give up," she stated firmly.

The gang leader looked at her with a face full of rage. Losing to this little girl. Even when he had the advantage. He wouldn't except it. "Never!" he shouted in retaliation before raising his left arm ready to fire another blast.

Videl moved quicker then he could form a _Ki_ ball in his hand and brought her right knee into his chin. The man was effectively knocked onto his back, unconscious. Videl stood over his unmoving body panting trying to catch her breath. Gohan nodded his head in approval. _"She did great. She might not have control over her energy but her power level is pretty high. Someone with a weak power level couldn't beat her even with the ability to fire Ki Blasts, even if it was unnatural."_

The police quickly made their way onto the scene once the perpetrators were dealt with. Quickly making arrests and recovering the mayor. Videl and Saiyaman watched as they finished the job.

Needing to get back to school Gohan thought now would be a good time to take his leave. Seeing the reporters making their way over, he turned to Videl and the police chief saying, "Well looks like everything is under control here, so I'll be going." He then proceeded on to floating higher.

"Wait Saiyaman," Videl said making Gohan stop and float back down a bit. "Yes Miss Videl."

Videl suddenly became very sheepish. Her hands held behind her back and looking down at her feet. She then looked up with a genuine smile and before saying, "Thanks for your help. Guess its not so bad having someone watch your back. But I'm still gonna unmask you."

Gohan returned her smile with his own toothy grin. "No problem, I'm always here when you need me, but I wouldn't count on finding out my identity." he said before turning and flying away.

Videl and the chief watched Saiyaman take his leave. The chief quickly recovered and went to make sure everything was proceeding smoothly. Videl continued to look off in the direction Saiyaman flew off in. His words kept repeating in her mind. _"I guess that makes him something like a guardian angel," _she thought to herself. "You just wait Saiyaman, you can't hide your secrets from me forever."

**A/N: well its been a little while since I updated. Not very motivated lately. Plus Christmas celebrating. Well here's another chapter I plan on updating again next week, hopefully. Well first flash back, hope that went good. And a little more action. We'll get more into the gloves here soon. As for the ki raising used to describe why the room shook is cause I never saw how Gohan made the room shake just by bouncing his leg. I mean their strong but to simulate an earthquake with out any real effort or consciously trying seems odd to me. Well read and review. More reviews more motivation.**


	8. Advanced Technology

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 7: Advanced Technology**_

**[West City; Wednesday 4:00 pm]**

Gohan was flying to Bulma's in his superhero costume. He was trying to get some more information on these strange gloves the criminals in Satan City are getting their hands on. School was the same as the last two days except Videl constantly glaring at him. She heard about him disappearing during that earthquake, but he managed to avoid the questioning. To keep up appearances, he's even gone to the bathroom for longer periods of time when there was no need. But he couldn't keep doing that.

"Getting Videl off my back sure is gonna be tougher then I thought," Gohan was saying while walking up to Capsule Corps. Family entrance. Unaware of the presence nearby.

"What are you talking about kiddo?" Bulma questioned walking in his direction.

Gohan almost tripped on himself, but managed to right himself. "Oh Bulma. Ha ha well it's just Videl is still suspicious of me, so I need to figure something out."

"That girl you were telling me about. Well for starters you might not want to walk up to my place in that outfit," she said casually which caused Gohan to look down at himself in shock.

"Oh man, I was thinking too hard and completely forgot about that," he admitted slightly panicked.

"Well let's go inside for now," Bulma suggested smiling at his antics.

Once inside they went in the kitchen. Bulma sat down with a cup of coffee and Gohan was leaning against the counter near the window. Bulma took a sip of her drink before saying, "So what did you need kiddo? I doubt you only came for girl advice."

Gohan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "No, I don't need girl advice. I came to ask about that glove I gave you," he replied back getting serious again.

"Yeah that. Well we didn't find much..." she began sipping her coffee before speaking again, "You probably already figured out they draw out a human's energy and allows them to fire it. But that seems to be just the beginning. It looks like there were parts missing or as if it were incomplete. The micro-technology in those gloves is highly advanced and reminds me a little bit of Dr. Gero's work. Although its complete amateur work compared to him."

Gohan mused about the information for a minute before Bulma continued. "We can say it's definitely not Gero, but it could be someone he knew before he went crazy. In any case, we need to find a way to stop this type of weapon development," she said, setting her coffee mug down and pulling out a cigarette.

"Yeah, maybe there are some kind of underground scientists we can look into," he suggested. "These gloves can hurt the user if they force out too much power."

"Well I can see what I can find. Oh and your mother said I should give you a cellphone so she can get in touch with you," she told him.

Gohan smiled at that. "A cellphone would be pretty cool." Everyone at school seemed to have a cellphone. It would be nice to be able to get some friends' numbers.

"We'll go down to my lab and I'll show you. It's the newest model and I modified it a bit for you, I call it the zPhone," Bulma said with a wink, then getting up from her seat.

Gohan was going to walk with Bulma to her lab when he glanced out the window. He froze instantly at what he saw. Bulma noticed this and approached to see what he was looking at. Outside the window Gohan could see as a jetcopter just landed, but what shocked him was Videl was jumping out of it. She capsulized the jetcopter before making her way to the front of capsule corp. _"Oh great what is Videl doing here?"_ Gohan thought panicking.

Bulma watched the girl approach the front of her building and was curious. But it didn't take her long to figure it out. "So that's the girl you were talking about?" she question.

Her voice snapped Gohan out of his panic, but he couldn't help noticing Bulma's voice was laced with amusement. "Um...yeah. But she can't know I'm here. Wait...why is she here anyway?"

Bulma shrugged at the demi-saiyan's question just as her watch communicator went off. "Yes, what is it?" she asked answering it.

"Yes Mrs. Brief. We have someone here to pick up the special order that came in from our Satan City Department," the secretary on the other end announced.

Bulma thought for a moment. "Ah that's right. That's all finished. I'll be right down."

She turned off her watch and looked towards Gohan saying, "Guess we know why Videl is here."

Gohan nodded, "Yeah..." then turning to Bulma with pleading eyes, "please get rid of her. If she finds me here..." "Yeah, yeah," she said cutting him off. "But you owe me one."

Bulma then left and made her way downstairs. Gohan sat down in a chair and sighed in relief. _"Thank Dende, Bulma's always here for me. I really couldn't deal with Videl right now."_

* * *

><p><strong>[With Videl]<strong>

Videl had an annoying day. First she couldn't figure out where Gohan disappears to, after hearing about his disappearance during this earthquake that only part of the school felt. Then Satan City's C.C. Department had sent her jetcopter to the main headquarters in West City for its tune-up. Apparently they couldn't handle it on their own. But she over heard the conversation with the Bulma Brief and the receptionist. Getting a chance to meet probably the smartest and richest woman in the world is amazing.

Videl was waiting in the lounge like lobby as she was told when Bulma arrived. Her hair was blue and cut in the latest short style; similar to Erasa's. She wore a simple green sweatsuit and white shirt under the jacket. She really didn't give off the daunting impression Videl thought a celebrity of her status would.

Bulma casually walked up to Videl smiling. "Hi there, I'm Bulma," she greeted kindly.

Videl smiled back and held out her hand to shake. "I'm Videl it's an honor to meet you Ms. Brief," she said a bit excitedly.

Bulma took her and to shake. "It's actually Mrs. But you can just call me Bulma."

"Oh okay," was Videl's simple reply. She was still a bit taken off-guard by the genius' easy-going attitude.

"This way," Bulma offered, leading them down the hall out of the lobby. Walking down the hall until they came upon a large sliding door. "Well this is our Capsule Room. This is where we work on fixing capsules and prepare products for sale," she informed while sliding her access card.

The door slid open revealing its contents to Videl. Inside there were many technicians working on varies capsule products. Videl snapped back from her daze when Bulma giggled and walked off. Videl quickly followed behind her until they came upon her familiar yellow jetcopter.

"Wow! It looks great," Videl said happily taking in the sight of the sleek machine.

"Yeah, she's a beaut. And just like you asked we increased its speed and gave it a thicker shell. Let me tell you it wasn't easy," Bulma said with her eyes closed nodding in satisfaction.

"That's great thanks."

Bulma looked at the young girl, "Your welcome and the payments all been settled. You must come from quite a family and I hear your a crime fighter in Satan City."

Videl scratched her cheek a little flattered. "Yeah well, trying to stay out of your father's shadow is pretty tough when your Mr. Satan's daughter," she admitted truthfully.

This bit of news shocked Bulma but she kept herself from bursting out laughing. "Oh...so your Satan's daughter...pfft," Bulma said struggling not to laugh, "That must be nice?"

"Your just saying that. I mean your the famous daughter of the Brief family. My Dad's really strong but he's not much on brains," she said her face turning slightly dismayed. It was weird though, most people knew who her father was especially if they heard of her fighting crime.

This time Bulma couldn't hold her laughter, "Ha ha ha...Well at least you see it for yourself...Ha ha." She slowly began calming her laughter. Videl watching with an awkward smile in place. No ones ever laughed at her father like that before. It's strange but it didn't make her angry, she almost felt like laughing as well.

Bulma finally stopped laughing and capsulized Videl's jetcopter before handing it to her. "Sorry about that. I haven't laughed like that in a while," she said smiling kindly.

"Um...that's okay. Thanks again for the jetcopter. I know it was kind of a rush job."

"No worry's. Have a safe trip home," Bulma said waving to Videl as she left.

"_Well that was interesting," _both thought simultaneously.

* * *

><p><strong>[Back with Gohan]<strong>

The young saiyan watched as Videl left, hopping into her jetcopter and flying off. _"That really scared me. I thought she came cause she was following me," _he thought calming down now that she was gone.

Bulma returned to the kitchen a moment later. "Well that was fun. You didn't tell me she was that goof Satan's daughter," Bulma said ready to start laughing again.

"Oh yeah, well she is and she never gives up. She's so sure I'm hiding things and she's determined to uncover my secrets," Gohan responded.

"Well you do have a lot of secrets that most people could hardly believe."

The two had a good laugh before heading down to Bulma's lab for his new phone. After getting a crash course on how to use the little device, Gohan took off to his house. Ready to devour the dinner that was most likely waiting for him at home.

* * *

><p><strong>[Forest near Mount Paozu; Saturday afternoon]<strong>

Gohan and Goten were spending some time playing after lunch. Gohan had been busy with school, homework, and helping Videl in Satan City. So he promised to spend today with his little brother as long as Saiyaman didn't have to take the scene. His new phone had a radio so he kept it on the news and turned it down just enough for him to hear it in the background.

They had just finished playing tag in the forest and were now lying in a small field of flowers. Goten was grinning from ear to ear, happy to get to spend time with his big brother. "Hey Big Brother?" he asked in a calm tone

Gohan closed his eyes enjoying the relaxing breeze. "What's up squirt?" Gohan replied in a similar tone, already knowing what he would ask.

"Can you tell me another story about our Dad?" the young boy asked staring off into the clouds.

"Sure squirt...how about the time Dad fought Piccolo?" Gohan said recollecting on the story's he heard from the people involved.

"Yeah..." Goten replied extending his right arm.

"Well from what I heard it was an incredibly tough fight for the both of them," Gohan said beginning his story, "Dad and Piccolo fought their way through the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament to meet in the finals. You already heard about Mom and Dad getting married after meeting in that tournament after a long time of not seeing each other. Dad also had to fight Tien and won."

"Wow, didn't Daddy lose to Mr. Tien in the 22nd tournament?" Goten asked eyes filled with admiration and wonder.

Gohan smiled at his younger brother. "Yeah but this time he was stronger and managed to win."

Goten returned his big brother's smile. "That's awesome. What happened next?"

"Well Dad and Piccolo were up to fight and things got rough from what I heard. Their battle was almost completely even. That's when Piccolo decided to blow up the ring," Gohan continued the story. Chuckling at his mentor's actions. "Eventually, Piccolo managed to get Dad down, and everyone thought he was going to be down and out. But Dad was never one to give up a fight. He avoided a finishing blow from Piccolo and delivered a bone-breaking headbutt that knocked Piccolo out of the ring. With that Dad won and became champion, he spared Piccolo's life knowing if he finished the job Kami would be gone too," Gohan finished saying, ending his story. Goten was still only five years old so giving the boy too much detail about these deadly battles would make things complicated for the little guy.

Gohan and Goten both stared off into the sky. "Daddy was pretty cool, wasn't he?" Goten asked, thinking of his estranged father.

Gohan smiled remembering their father. "Yeah he was the coolest."

"Yeah...hope I get to meet him someday," Goten said. Gohan just stared into the sky solemnly.

Unfortunately their brotherly bonding time was cut short by a report on the radio. Gohan quickly turned up the radio on his phone to hear a bit better. "This is the latest report on the scene. Satan City is in a panic as a madman destroys anything he comes upon. The police is having no luck subduing the overpowering man. Wait that's...yes Videl Satan has just arrived on the scene. Stay tuned for further development." As soon as the report ended Gohan stood up from his place in the grass, putting his phone away.

"Sorry Goten looks like I need to go," Gohan said a little saddened he couldn't spend more time with the little demi-saiyan.

"That's okay Big Brother. Your a superhero," Goten said proudly standing up next to his brother.

Gohan gave the boy a warm smile and pressed the button on his watch. The bright light disappeared leaving Saiyaman, ready for action. Goten watched in awe before breaking out in a big Son grin that looked just like his father.

"Someday I'm gonna be a hero just like you and Daddy. Super Saiyan!" Goten announced with joy pumping both fists into the air.

Gohan laughed, amused by his antics, "Yeah squirt, but maybe you should wait til your older to be a super saiyan." he suggested before lifting himself into the air. "Well gotta go. Tell Mom where I went for me would ya?" and with that he flew off headed for Satan City. Gohan headed off to help Videl and the people of Satan City, unaware of the power hidden within his little brother.

Goten watched his brother take flight, amazed with his speed, and wishing he could fly too. Maybe he could ask his brother to teach him. _"I'll ask him when he gets back," _he thought turning to the forest ready to head home, he stood straight arms bent at his sides. Giving out a shout while raising his power, Goten's hair began raising towards the sky. With a flash of gold his hair's black color was replaced with gold and his eyes teal. Letting the aura around him disappear Goten jumped into the air shouting, "Saiyaboy away!" before making his way home.

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan City]<strong>

Videl had just arrived on the scene where a large bulky man was picking cars off the street and hurdling them at the police, nearby buildings, and bystanders. He wore a simple white tank top and blue jeans. His tanned skin and Mohawk made him very intimidating, as if throwing cars around didn't make it bad enough. The man was very familiar to Videl. But most notable where the black gloves present on his hands.

Videl carefully made her way towards the chief. When he saw her, he called out, "Videl careful. This man is the Thrasher."

When the chief said this she knew why he looked familiar. He was among the first criminals she took down. His crimes made no sense, he always terrorized and destroyed the city before Videl finally managed to take him down.

She took cover near the chief and asked, "I thought he was locked up. How did he get out?"

"He escaped a few weeks ago. We didn't say anything to you because he left the city and went into hiding," the chief answered.

"Well whatever reason he's back, I'm gonna take him down." She quickly made her way over the barricade and ran towards the bulky psycho. The Thrasher was ready to pick up another car to throw when he noticed the young heroine. Videl stopped a good distance away from the man as his attention turned to her.

"Hey there little girl. I was hoping you'd show up," the man said hoarsely, a vicious grin in place.

Videl wasn't intimidated in the least. She gave him her own triumphant grin, "Well if you wanted to go back to jail so badly you could have just turned yourself in and saved me the trouble."

"Heh we'll see soon enough," he was saying while bending his knees and his arms at his sides. "It's payback time."

Videl wasn't prepared for the man's sudden dash towards her. Failing to get into a proper stance, the man's fist crashed through her guard; connecting with her chest and send her flying onto her back. The man stood straight satisfied with his first attack. Videl slowly made her way to her feet coughing for air and holding her chest in pain.

"_That attack was so powerful. I know he wasn't this strong when I fought him the first time." _Videl took a moment to look the man over again. That's when she noticed. His black belt looked like it was made out of the same material as the gloves.

Finally recovering from the blow, she took up her stance. "So this weird strength you have, I wonder where it came from?"

The man chuckled, "Well it doesn't really matter, you won't be around for much longer."

The man bent his arms at his sides as a red aura drifted off of him like smoke. Videl watched in awe as the man's muscles seemed to bulge up and veins began to show.

* * *

><p><strong>[Somewhere outside Satan City]<strong>

Gohan was headed for Satan City when he sensed Videl's energy drop for a moment. It wasn't until someone's _Ki_ began increasing that Gohan knew something was wrong. _"The energy signal fighting Videl just went way up. I've got a bad feeling about this," _Gohan thought to himself.

Whoever Videl was fighting wasn't a normal opponent. Not sure if she could handle this, Gohan sped up his flight and rocketed towards the scene. "Hang on Videl I'll be there soon."

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan City]<strong>

The man's aura dissipated as the man's grunts came to a stop. Seeing the man standing tall without his guard up gave Videl the opportunity to strike first. She sped forward and aimed a punch to his gut. The punch landed causing the man to hunch over. Videl quickly jumped back noticing her attack had little affect. The Thrasher looked at her vicious grin in place before pouncing on her. The two exchanged blow for blow with Videl doing her best to dodge his powerful attacks while countering.

A few minutes of fighting and Videl was exhausted. She managed to put some distance between them, but her leg felt like it was about to break. The impact of blocking his last kick with her right leg caused some serious damage to it.

The Thrasher noticed she could barley keep herself standing. "Aw did I hurt your leg?" he mockingly cooed at her.

Videl grit her teeth, "You wish muscle brain." Too bad it was true. In this situation she couldn't fight properly.

"Well let's finish this," he said casually while lifting his open hand at her.

Videl's eyes widened in fear as she realized what he was about to do. The light gathered in his hand as Videl tried to run, but the pain from her right leg froze her in place. The Thrasher fired his energy blast at Videl. All the bystanders and police watched in terror. Videl could see the bright glowing light quickly approaching, the only thought on her mind was, _"Saiyaman."_

Everyone watched as the glowing ball exploded, engulfing the young heroine in flames. The police chief watched in shock. Had he known this would happen he would never have let her go out there. But any thoughts that were running through his mind ceased. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a strange shadow. Looking up to find its source he came upon Saiyaman and what he held in his arms made a smile form across his gray fury old face.

"Saiyaman!" shouted the old dog. In all his years of police work, that had to be the scariest thing he's witnessed.

The chief's shout caught everyone's attention. Following his gaze to the sky they quickly located him. The Thrasher wasn't very pleased at this. His victorious grin quickly fell into a scowl.

"Hey you? What are you doing getting in my way?" the brutish criminal demanded.

Saiyaman looked at him with a harsh glare, "I will be with you in a moment."

Gohan looked back down at Videl, she was looking up at him still shocked. The fact he was carrying her bridal style didn't even register to her. _"He actually came," _she thought.

"Are you okay Miss Videl?" he asked.

This snapped Videl out of her trance. "What took you so long to get here you jerk?" she screamed angrily, pounding him on his chest with little effort. She was exhausted right now and wasn't really that angry.

Videl could see the regret in his teal eyes. "Sorry..." he said sincerely, "Just let me deal with this first."

Lowering himself down to the ground, he made his way towards the police chief and his men. He gently placed her on her feet, "Will you be okay?"

Videl rolled her eyes at him and leaned herself against one of the police cars. "I'm no little kid, I'll be fine. Just make sure you take that guy down," she told him. Truthfully she was upset with herself. _"I should have been able to handle this."_

Gohan nodded before turning back to the Thrasher who was patiently waiting. Walking up to him , Gohan stopped a good distance away. "Its quite a surprise you waited so patiently," Gohan said with his hero voice as always.

The man just smirked at Saiyaman. "I heard about you. The new superhero that appeared out of nowhere. I've been wanting to test out my gear on you," he said with great amusement.

"Gear?" Gohan questioned slightly confused. He already noticed the black gloves but those weren't much of a problem. What else could he be hiding?

Videl watched their little exchange and realized she forgot to tell Saiyaman. "Saiyaman! His belt. I think something's weird about it."

Both Saiyaman and the Thrasher glanced toward Videl when she shouted. _"Annoying little girl. Oh well it doesn't change anything," _thought the Thrasher.

Saiyaman looked at the man's belt and indeed it did look like the gloves. Maybe it was just the material but its something to look into. "I don't suppose you would make this easy and give up?" Gohan asked taking his stance.

"Nope," the man replied getting into his own stance.

A still silence fell over the area as the two stared each other down. Gohan knew something strange was going on. This man's _Ki _was much stronger a few minutes ago. The Thrasher took the first move and dashed at the young superhero. Drawing back his fist, the man found a fist in his gut before he could finish his punch. Stumbling back a few steps, the man caught his balance and began panting.

"_Well that's not what I was expecting," _Gohan thought to himself.

"Heh...Yeah your strong," the Thrasher said once he caught his second wind.

With a grunt and a flex of his arm, the red smoky aura began seeping from his body again as his muscles increased in mass. Videl watched as the man did the same thing as moments ago. _"I get it maybe he's increasing his power,"_ Videl figured. Taking her wrist watch she switched it to scouter mode and took in the Thrasher's power reading. Videl watched as his power continued to raise.

"No wonder I couldn't beat him his power levels almost five hundred," she said to herself just loud enough for some of the nearby policemen to here.

"Five hundred? No wonder we couldn't stop him," said a random police officer.

Videl watched as the man's power stabilized at 510 and the aura around him dissipated. _"Great, the last time I checked Saiyaman's power level it was only around 300. Is he gonna be able to do this on his own."_

The Thrasher stood confidently in front of Saiyaman, "So let's try this again."

Saiyaman stared the man down with a grim expression. "The way you are forcing your energy like that is dangerous. I do not know where you acquired this technology, but I am going to put a stop to it," Gohan said sternly.

"Ha, we'll see?" was the Thrasher's only reply before dashing at Saiyaman again. This time Saiyaman didn't even make a move to stop him. The man's large fist collided with his face sending him skidding back on his feet. Saiyaman came to a stop a few feet back with his head turned from being punched.

"What?" the Thrasher questioned seeing Saiyaman still on his feet.

Gohan straightened up and looked at the man in front of him. "You seem to have a problem understanding. If you force your power out like that then your not really in control. If you really want to be strong you should work for it, but in your case, you would only use it to destroy things."

The Thrasher's face was red with rage. Being lectured by some teen superhero is annoying enough but having his punch have no affect was infuriating. Videl watched in awe as Saiyaman took Thrasher's punch like it was nothing and took in his words about working for your strength. She just couldn't figure out how he did it. Taking another look at her scouter watch and getting a reading on Saiyaman, she was surprised at what she saw.

"_I've never seen a power level that high. Its over nine thousand!"_ Videl couldn't make heads or tails of this. Last time he was only around 300 and now this. Was he holding back his power? She had to figure this _Ki_ stuff out and Saiyaman was the key.

Gohan didn't want to play around with this guy anymore. He already caused serious destruction, hurt people including Videl, and he could cause irreparable damage to himself if he kept forcing his energy to increase within his body. "It is time to end this," he said in his Saiyaman voice while getting back into a stance.

The Thrasher growled at Saiyaman before charging in a maddened rage. Saiyaman blocked his wild right kick aimed at his head with his left arm, before bringing fist right fist into the man's gut. The Thrasher hunched over in pain but as his head lowered he found his face coming in contact with Saiyaman's knee. The man was quickly knocked back into standing position. He stood dazed swaggering back and forth. Saiyaman took this opportunity to do a light sweeping kick, effectively knocking the man on his back.

The police and bystanders were stunned. Videl couldn't believe it either. Three hits from Saiyaman and the Thrasher is finished. How insanely strong is he.

Everyone watched as he removed the man's belt and gloves. Tossing the gloves into the air, he incinerated them with a _Ki _blast. He then flew his way over to Videl while the police officers approached to cuff the rampaging brute.

"I am going to take this belt so I can have my friend take a good look at it," Gohan said to Videl. Noticing she was just staring at him he questioned, "Are you okay Miss Videl?"

Videl finally snapped out of it. His strength is just overwhelming. "Um...Yeah. I'm okay," she assured him. Then she finally got back into her crime fighter attitude, "That's right did you find anything out before when you took that glove?"

"Actually not really anything I did not guess already. But as for finding the source, I was hoping you could convince the police to look into any black market or criminal scientists," Gohan told her.

Videl bit her thumbnail as she thought for a moment. "Yeah guess that would make sense. I'll see what I can do." Videl looked up at Saiyaman ready to speak again but stopped when she overheard the news crews nearby.

Just a little ways behind the barricade the news crews were surrounding a man that just appeared on the scene. He wore a dark red business suit, his red hair was neatly combed, and had a light neat mustache. He was being escorted by two burly looking men in suits on either side of him.

"Mr. Red, please tell us what you are doing here on the scene? And what do you think about the latest chaos in the city?" one of the female reporters quickly asked before any of the others could. Gohan and Videl turned their attention to them. Videl was glaring at the man in the red suit. Gohan was just curious as to who this man was.

The man Known as Mr. Red cleared his throat before speaking. "I came to take a look at the damage done to our beautiful city. To think criminals are just running lose like this, I feel like something needs to be done. We can't keep relying on a teen girl crime fighter and a unknown masked teen playing superhero. And our hero does nothing while these crimes happen."

Videl grit her teeth at what she heard. Gohan almost fell when the man said he was playing superhero. Straightening himself he turned his attention back to Videl. "Um...Who is that?"

Videl closed her eyes sighing. "That guy is Mr. Ryan Red. He's some businessman from some town. I don't know the whole story since I don't care about politics but he's running for mayor in the upcoming election." Videl looked over to him, "He's making promises to clean up the crime in the city. Ugh...but something about him just bugs me and it's not just him talking badly about me and my dad."

Gohan observed the man for a moment. His power level was average so he wasn't much of a fighter himself. How would he put a stop to crime? Gohan didn't worry too much about it. "Well at least he wants to help people. That's good right?"

Videl glared at him, "Well you can't always trust what people say. Plus he doesn't need to act like a stuck up jerk. I guess its true what they say, like father like son."

This caught Gohan's attention, "Son?"

Videl looked at Saiyaman and remembered he didn't know what she was talking about, "Oh sorry, its just this guy Ronnie at my school is Mr. Red's son."

Gohan looked at the man and noticed they did resemble each other. Noticing the reporters were finished with their questioning he turned back to Videl. "Well I should get going before the reporters get here."

Videl looked at him a playful grin in place, "What, are you camera shy?"

Saiyaman returned his own playful smile, "Well maybe a little. Bye Miss Videl."

"Yeah see ya, and Thanks for saving my butt today," Videl replied.

"No problem," Gohan said with a smile before taking off into the air.

"There he goes again." _"I really need to find some time to talk to him," _she thought to herself as the news crews made their way to her. Too bad they scared him off. But she wasn't giving up. _"Just you wait Saiyaman, I'll find out who you are and get you to teach me how to use my Ki."_

Now Videl was ready to see a doctor for her leg and head home for some rest. Gohan had similar plans. After a stop at Capsule Corp. so he could drop the belt off with Bulma, he headed home hoping his mom wasn't too upset with him.

**A/N: another chapter for you. Kinda didn't update last week cause I was busy. Hope you like it. Read and review. **


	9. The Teen Experience

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 8: The Teen Experience**_

**[Orange Star High School]**

The halls of Orange Star High were full of students heading to class on this miserable Monday morning. Videl was being extra sluggish today. Her leg still hurt from her fight with the Thrasher. There was no severe damage but it swelled up then turned black and blue. She got the swelling to go down but she was wearing jeans today to cover the bruise.

Being extra careful as she walked, she made her way towards her locker. The students had mostly made it to class by now but Videl wasn't worried about being late. As she grabbed her books for class she heard footsteps quickly making their way down the hall. Taking a look to see where it was coming from she saw a blur dash around the corner nearly hitting the opposite wall with the windows before running in her direction.

"Gohan," she said in an authoritative tone.

Gohan, who had just dashed by her too busy trying not to be late to notice anyone in the hall, came skidding to a stop. Turning around he looked at Videl with a totally confused look, that almost made her giggle but she held herself together.

"Oh, hi Videl," Gohan said with his Son grin once he realized who called him. Videl couldn't help but smile back. "Um, shouldn't we get to class Videl? We're going to be late."

Videl checked to make sure she had everything and closed her locker. "Yes I know, but you shouldn't be running through the halls like that you could hurt someone," she said before turning and walking towards class.

Gohan scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "Yeah guess your right." He followed beside her. As they were walking Gohan could notice the slight limp in her step. "Are you alright? Your walking with a bit of a limp," Gohan question putting on a curious mask. He already knew what happened but he wanted to make sure she was okay.

Videl looked at him a bit surprised. Her leg still hurt but she was making sure to do her best to walk like normal, but couldn't help limping occasionally. She didn't think anyone would notice. "Yeah I'm fine. Don't you know what happened on Saturday?" she questioned hoping he would slip and reveal something.

"Um, no. I was playing with my brother most of the day and did some homework." Gohan said scratching his cheek. It wasn't a complete lie, that was Gohan's day. But Saiyaman was a different story.

Videl eyed him suspiciously but decided to leave it be, she wasn't in a mood for digging for secrets. "Yeah well its not really important."

Both entered class a bit late. Gohan's excuse being running late this morning and Videl's being her injured leg, which she told the teacher discreetly. Videl sat in her seat and wanted nothing more then to go home. Erasa noticed her friend's depressed state and made a reminder to question her about it later. The day went by slowly, until lunch finally arrived.

Gohan sat in his usual place next to Sharpner and across from Ronnie as he ate. He listened in as the others questioned Videl about Saturday's events.

"So Videl, the news said Saiyaman came just in time to save you. Is it true?" asked Jane. Erasa just listened quietly, she already got the scoop from her best friend.

Videl rolled her eyes. She didn't like the fact that she was too weak to stop that psychopath but everyone bringing up Saiyaman having to save her just made it worse. "I really don't want to talk about it," Videl answered honestly.

Ronnie turned his head to her, cheesy smile in place as usual. "Come on girl, you should just quit all that crime fighting. I wouldn't wanna see a pretty girl like you get hurt," he said trying to be smooth.

Videl rolled her eyes, while Erasa and the other two girls pretended to gag. Ronnie always tried to flirt with Videl. Even Erasa said if he wasn't such a jerk half the time he might be a decent guy. Sharpner seems to get along with him but Videl couldn't figure out why he always hung out with them.

"I'm fine Ronnie. I can handle myself. I don't need you pushing your father's beliefs on me," she retorted hostilely.

"Hey hey, I'm not saying my pops ain't pushy but he does got a point. Teenagers shouldn't have to worry about crime fighting," Ronnie defended.

"Well he does have a point," Erasa added in, "I wouldn't want to see you getting hurt either."

Gohan swallowed down another biscuit as he thought about the current conversation. Its true teens shouldn't be fighting crimes but as for what kinda things normal teens do he didn't know. It seemed Videl did everything in her power not to be a normal teen, while all he wanted was to be normal.

Videl smiled at Erasa. She was glad people actually cared not to see her hurt but still. "I chose to use my training to help people, so that's what I'm going to do," she said affirmatively. Shrugging she continued, "Plus now there's Saiyaman to cover my back just in case."

This caused Erasa, Jane, and Doris to squeal out of excitement. Which in turned caused Gohan to cover his ears. "So he does come to save you?" Jane asked excitedly.

Videl rolled her eyes again, "Its not that he comes to save me, just to help."

Erasa looked towards the ceiling with her index finger on her chin in thought. "Yeah but he still shows up at the last minute to help you. And your the only one whose actually talked to him. He won't even talk to the reporters."

Gohan was a bit embarrassed that they were talking about him although they didn't know it. Videl didn't feel like talking about Saiyaman right now, it just reminded her how weak she is right now.

"I don't see what the big deal is with this Saiyafreak. He probably isn't that strong," Sharpner said adding his two cents.

Ronnie smirked at this, "Your right. That freak's probably some whacked kid playing superhero."

Gohan who was focusing on shoveling down the last of his lunch began choking when he heard this. Everyone looked at Gohan as he pounded his chest trying to dislodge the oversized bite in his throat. Finally swallowing his food, he gulped down some water before looking at his friends sheepishly.

"Sorry. Ate too fast," he said simply with his hand behind his head and grinning just like his father. _"Wow now I can really see the resemblance with his father. They even say the same things," _thought Gohan.

Resuming their conversation after Gohan's little episode, Videl decided to defend Saiyaman. She didn't know much about the guy but he didn't act like a muscle brained jerk, like some people she knew. "Well at least he does something to help. I don't see you two coming out there to give me a hand," she said eying Sharpner and Ronnie.

Ronnie just shrugged. "Not my job. And it shouldn't be yours either."

"Well you just never asked me, I would help if you needed it babe," Sharpner said arrogantly.

"Don't call me babe," she offered back.

Anymore conversation was cut short as the bell rang and everyone headed back to class. Gohan was astonished that Videl actually defended Saiyaman. He was pretty sure she was still out to find out who he is but at least she trusts him a bit.

Videl was glad when her school day ended. After lunch things seemed to go faster, now she could get home and rest her leg. She walked with Erasa, Sharpner and Gohan off school grounds. They bid farewell to Gohan, who Videl glared at for again walking when he says he has a long trip home. Then Sharpner who was going to the gym with some of the guys from the boxing club.

"So Videl, its just me and you. What do you want to do?" Erasa asked her best friend cheerfully.

Videl sighed, "I don't know Erasa, I just wanna go home."

Erasa looked at her friend asking seriously, "What's up girlfriend? You've been down all day."

Videl looked at her friend who she's known since preschool. "I'm just feeling weak. With all these criminals getting these weird weapons, I just can't keep up. And with my leg hurt I can't really do much training," she confided.

"Hey, what are you talking about? You got three years of training from your dad with which you've won the first ever Junior Championship. And you've been training yourself for the last four years. You're way strong," encouraged Erasa.

Videl looked at the ground as they walked toward their homes. "Yeah well, to tell the truth, I don't feel like my last four years of training did what I wanted." She began her own training a year after the Cell Games and another year later _Groundbreaking Science_ was published. She tried her best to discover her _Ki_ by herself, but after three years of unsuccessful training maybe she could use some help.

"Hmm...Don't worry girl, I'm sure you'll figure something out," Erasa reassured, giving her a wink. Videl smiled. No matter what kind of problem she had, Erasa was always there for her.

"Thanks Erasa," Videl said sincerely.

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan Mansion]<strong>

Videl finally made it home and went up to her room after greeting her father. She flopped down on her bed and let her body relax. Never had she felt so exhausted from a day at school. Her leg was still aching a little, but payed it no mind. Taking out the book in her nightstand, she laid back in her bed and flipped it open.

She always read through _Groundbreaking Science_ now and then. Although she couldn't understand or figure out this energy business, it still had good tips on martial arts and physical training. She particularly focused on the physical training and martial arts these passed few years. She refined her fighting style using her father's style as a base. Then focused on physical training. The book said, fighters have a limit to the ki that their bodies can withstand, but the capacity for _Ki_ can be increased through mental and physical training. Essentially to go beyond normal physical limits.A body that has too much energy to hold would break down. _"Maybe that's why using those belts and gloves are dangerous?" _Videl thought as she read.

Videl finally flipped to a chapter that she hadn't read through. "Meditation," she said as she read it. It was something she never thought to be useful. How could doing nothing make someone stronger? But then again, if Saiyaman and those other _Gold Fighters_ got strong by meditating, then maybe she could give it a shot.

Videl made sure she had some ice on her leg before taking the next hour to read the chapter on meditation. After finishing her read she decided to give it a shot. Heading down to the garden, she found a nice spot in the grass. She closed her eyes and tried to think of nothing. From what she read, thinking nothing isn't as simple as thinking of pure black or white, you have to literally think nothing. Allow your senses to open and take in everything around you.

Videl could feel her mind slowly relaxing. She could feel as the chilly wind drifted over her skin and the smell of the grass invaded her nostrils. Taking a deep breath, she could feel her heart-beat calm into an even steady pace.

Seconds began feeling like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. Videl actually wasn't sure how long she was sitting there, but suddenly she got this odd sensation. It was a warmth that spread from her center all throughout her body. She tried finding the origin of this amazing feeling until a booming voice interrupted her. "Sweetpea? What are you doing out here?" her father said invading her peace.

Cracking an eye open she looked at her father towering over her. "I'm just trying some meditation Daddy," she told him.

"Medi-what? How is that any use to a fighter? A true martial artist trains their strength...and of course your energy, Ha ha ha," Hercule stated with false wisdom. If he had to tell the truth he hadn't figured this energy business out either. He still believed it was some kind of trick and that book was to mock him. As far as he was concerned if a fighter of his status couldn't do those energy tricks then it wasn't real martial arts. But then again more and more fighters are starting to do those light tricks.

Videl stood up from her spot in the grass and stretched her arms above her head. "Actually it wasn't so bad. It was relaxing," she informed her father. Plus there was something more. _"What was that feeling?"_

Hercule didn't push the subject. If his daughter felt like doing it then fine. "Well I was looking for you because a friend is here for you," he told her.

This surprised Videl. She told Erasa she wasn't interested in hanging out today, who else would come? "Who is it Daddy?"

"It's that Mr. Red's son. Think he said his name was Ronnie," he replied. "Didn't know you were friends with him. Maybe this way I can get his father to lay off?"

"Dad! He isn't really my friend. He's just..." Videl began to explain before her father cut her off.

"Now you should get along with this boy it'll help our political standing," he ordered more then said.

"_More like __**your**__ political standing,"_ Videl thought crossing her arms with a frown.

"But there's no dating this boy, got it? NO BOY WILL DATE MY DAUGHTER WITH OUT BEATING ME HA HA HA!"

Videl simply rolled her eyes and walked to the front door. She didn't even wanna be friends with the guy, why would she date him. When she approached the front door she could see Ronnie sitting on a chair in the parlor. Sighing she walked up to him gaining his attention.

"Oh hey Videl, hope you don't mind me dropping by?" Ronnie said getting up from his seat.

Videl sent him a glare that would send a grizzly running. "Oh and why would I mind," she almost growled at him.

Ronnie didn't care how much she pushed. He would prove he can be the only guy for her. So giving her his best attempt at a devilishly handsome grin saying, "Well I just wanted to see if maybe you want to go out? I noticed you looking down today so I thought I'd cheer you up."

Videl could feel herself starting to lose it, as a vein popped up on her forehead. This guy was bothering her on a bad day. "Sorry Dad says I can't date anyone weaker then him," she said, glad for once for that rule.

"Oh, then let's hang out," he said giving her a suggestive wink.

Videl was about to explode when her father started walking by. Probably checking to make sure she was getting along nicely. "Fine let's hang out," she forced out. "Dad I'll be back later!" she yelled out angrily not caring. Then stomped out without hearing his reply, followed by a satisfied Ronnie.

He was sure he could change her mood soon enough. _"I'll definitely make you mine,"_ he thought watching her walk in front of him, eyes wandering.

* * *

><p><strong>[Orange Star High School; Tuesday morning]<strong>

Videl and Erasa walked through the halls on the way to class. Videl told Erasa all about her miserable day out yesterday thanks to her father forcing her to hang out with Ronnie. The guy kept talking about himself. It wouldn't have been too bad but the guy just talked about how great he thinks himself to be. And the non-stop flirting just made her sick to her stomach. The worst part is the guy didn't even get the fact she wasn't interested. He even said they should go out again. Didn't he get that they were just hanging out, it was not a date.

The two girls walked by a group of chattering girls when they noticed the group looking in their direction then whispering and giggling.

As they walked passed them Erasa turned to Videl, "Well that was weird."

Videl narrowed her eyes, "Yeah, I've got a bad feeling about this."

Making their way to class, the two took their seats and waited for class to start. Videl could still hear a lot of whispering and people glancing in her direction before quickly turning away. This was getting on her nerves what was everyone talking about that made them look at her. Sharpner noticing Videl's annoyance with the people in her class decided to help out.

"Come on V, don't tell me you don't know what everyone's gossiping about?" he said catching her and Erasa's attention.

Erasa quickly turned to him. "Tell. What's the gossip?" questioned the well known Gossip Queen of Orange Star High.

Sharpner shrugged, "I figured you'd be the first to know about Videl and Ronnie's date."

This bit of news surprised Erasa but quickly turned to fright. Looking at Videl who didn't make a sound after what Sharpner said, she could see the girl was ready to blow. Videl was looking at her desk causing her bangs to shadow her eyes.

"Sharpner..." she started to say, her voice practically dripping venom, "...Who did you here this from?"

Sharpner felt a shiver running up his spine. He's known Videl for years, so he knew just how pissed off she was. "Umm, Ronnie was saying something about it. I wasn't really paying much attention," he said with his hands in front of him in defense. It was the truth. The moment Ronnie mentioned going on a date with Videl, the blonde simply stopped paying attention. He was mad that Videl went out with Ronnie instead of him but Ronnie was a pretty cool guy.

"I see," was all Videl said, but before she could make a move to correct this rumor the teacher walked in. This would have to wait.

Erasa noticing the teacher walk in looked to her left side to find that Gohan wasn't present. "Guess Gohan's running late today?" she said to no one in particular, but this got Videl's attention.

Looking at his usual desk Videl wondered, _"Where could he be?"_

Gohan was running late this morning. Knowing Videl hurt her leg, Gohan decided to handle the crimes in Satan city himself. At least until she fully recovered. Luckily he caught sight of a crime in progress and managed to take care of it before the chief had to call the crime fighting heroine for help.

Class was half way through when Gohan made it to school. Carefully landing on the roof, he quickly changed into his school clothes and headed down the stairs. _"Man I'm seriously late. Good thing I live so far, it makes for a good excuse." _Though he wasn't sure just how long this excuse could last.

After dropping a few things off at his locker, he quickly made his way to class. As he walked in all eyes were fixed on the late comer. Gohan looked at them with his usual sheepish grin before turning to the teacher, "Sorry, my little brother thought it would be funny to turn off my alarm. Guess he gets kinda lonely when I'm away at school." Gohan even surprised himself with that lie. He didn't even own an alarm clock.

The teacher nodded, excepting his excuse before sending him to his seat. The girls in the class were whispering things along the line of "He's so cute when he smiles" and "How adorable. Wonder what his brother's like"

Erasa was whispering something similar to Videl. "That's cute, his brother didn't want him going to school," she said in a rare hushed tone of voice just before Gohan made it to his seat. Smiling she turned to him as he sat down. "Hey cutie, rough morning?"

Gohan offered Erasa a smile before speaking, "Yeah, just a little," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh and hi Videl...Sharpner," he added smiling at Videl and giving Sharpner a nod.

Videl couldn't help but smile when Gohan did. "Hey Gohan," she replied. It was weird. With everyone talking about her and Ronnie, she wasn't exactly in a good mood. But Gohan's warm sincere smile just seemed to brighten up her day a bit. In a way she wished it was Gohan who came to see if she wanted to hang out instead of Ronnie.

"What's up nerd-boy?" was Sharpner's simple reply. Of course after the last two weeks Gohan became accustomed to his new nickname.

* * *

><p><strong>[Lunch time at OSH]<strong>

Classes went by quickly for Videl, which she was very grateful for. People continued gossiping about the so called date. On her way to lunch she decided to confront the problem head on. Waiting near the cafeteria, she kept a look out for her target. When Ronnie made his way towards her with some other guys around him, she walked towards him.

"Ronnie come with me!" she commanded angrily before making her way down the hall. She didn't even check to see if he followed.

One of the guys turned to Ronnie to say, "She looks pissed dude."

Ronnie smiled and shrugged. "She's just a little upset. It's nothing," he replied before following after her. Finding her a few halls from the cafeteria he approached casually. "Hey girl, why the bad mood?" he questioned her.

Gohan was making his way to lunch when he realized he forgot his food in his locker. As he pulled out the capsule that contained his lunch, he couldn't help overhearing voices with his saiyan hearing. Although he knew that he probably shouldn't eavesdrop, he listened in.

"What do you mean, why the bad mood?" came Videl's angry voice.

"_Videl? She sounds upset,"_ Gohan thought before listening in again.

"Your going around telling everyone we went on a date," she said in growl.

"Sorry, I didn't know you wanted to keep it a secret," came a male's voice. This one Gohan recognized as Ronnie's.

Videl could hardly keep from bursting. Grabbing Ronnie by his collar she pushed him up against a locker with a resounding clang. Ronnie was completely surprised but decided to keep calm.

"Whoa, let's calm down," Ronnie tried persuading her. Gohan heard what was happening and could sense Videl's _Ki_ rising. He wasn't sure if he should intervene.

Tightening her grip on Ronnie she glared at him. "It _wasn't_ a date. My dad was forcing me to hang out with you. So please leave me alone," she said trying to hold back from pummeling him.

Letting him go Videl took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Now please tell people that there's nothing going on between us?"

Ronnie straightened his shirt and smiled at her. "Sure I'll tell them if you want. But you'll see I'm the only man for you," he said rather confidently.

This made Videl glare at him again. _"What was this guy not getting? I'm not interested and he certainly isn't a man."_

Gohan was dumbfounded. Is this how relationships work in the city. It seemed like Videl didn't like Ronnie very much. But he wasn't giving up. Shouldn't Ronnie respect her wishes and leave her alone. Then again there wasn't anything he could do...was there? He started making his way to the cafeteria thinking about what he could do to help.

"Ugh...Whatever I'm going to lunch." And with that Videl was heading down the hall. Ronnie walking after her. He wasn't one to quit. Videl was meant to be with him and nothing was going to stop him.

Videl turned the corner down another hall. Looking ahead she saw Gohan walking farther down the hall. Glancing over her shoulder she noticed Ronnie still following. So wanting to be in the company of anyone else right about now, she sped up to catch up with him.

"Hey Gohan, wait up," she said as she neared him.

Gohan turned to her when he heard her calling. He didn't think she'd catch up so quickly. "Oh hi Videl."

Videl slowed down to a walk when she caught up with him. Ronnie who was left a small distance behind was glaring into Gohan's back. _"Why would she want to walk with that nerd."_

"So what are you doing in the halls at lunch time?" Videl questioned Gohan. "That doesn't seem like you." He was a bit far down the hall and she was walking pretty fast, so hopefully he didn't overhear their argument. Well more like her yelling.

"Oh I just forgot my lunch in my locker," Gohan admitted. "What were you doing?" He asked in return glancing back at the glaring Ronnie. Although to Gohan, he just looked like he needed to sneeze. Not many can effectively glare at this half-saiyan.

This question caught Videl off-guard. "Nothing...Just dealing with something," she quietly answered. She really didn't want to talk about this.

As the three made their way into the cafeteria and to their seats Videl sat down next to Erasa. Gohan Took the seat next to her. This caused Ronnie to stand there and everyone turned to look at Gohan. Not paying attention to the stares he was getting, he opened his lunch capsule ready to sedate his hunger.

"Hey Nerd-boy, what are you doing?" asked a very annoyed Ronnie.

Gohan looked up at him with an emotionless stare. "Eating lunch," he stated the obvious.

This made everyone at the table chuckle and Ronnie only more irritated. "Well that's my seat," Ronnie almost yelled at him.

"I didn't know we had assigned seats at lunch," Gohan said innocently while grabbing a bowl of rice and starting to eat.

This made everyone start laughing out loud. Ronnie became red in the face with anger. This nerd was making him look like an idiot. And taking his seat next to Videl. Something would have to be done about this.

"Just sit next to Sharpner. It's just a seat," Videl said. Truthfully she was glad. This way Ronnie couldn't sit next to her. Begrudgingly Ronnie took the seat next to Sharpner, all the while glaring at Gohan as he ate.

The next couple of days went by in a similar fashion. Gohan would walk to class with Videl and Erasa, giving Ronnie no room to flirt with the girl. At lunch Gohan sat next to Videl. Ronnie was becoming enraged by the nerd-boy getting in his way. Even Videl found it weird that Gohan seemed to be helping her, although he never showed any sign of being aware of it. Either he was a really good actor or really didn't know what he was doing.

* * *

><p><strong>[Thursday; After School]<strong>

As Gohan gathered his things from his locker, ready to go home for the day, he was approached by his classmates. Videl,, Erasa, and Sharpner. Erasa seemed really eager about something while Videl and Sharpner tried not to be embarrassed by the girls excitement.

"Hey Gohan!" Erasa said excitedly.

"Um...Hi Erasa. What's up?" Gohan asked a little frightened to ask.

"Well we were just thinking..." she started when Sharpner interrupted. "You and Videl were just thinking," he corrected.

"Right," she said sarcastically rolling her eyes at Sharpner. "Me and Videl were thinking you should come out with us tomorrow after school. You've been here like three weeks and we haven't hung out," she told Gohan with almost pleading eyes.

Gohan scratched his head in his signature manner, "Yeah well it sounds great. I can ask my Mom. What exactly are we going to be doing?"

"Ha ha you gotta ask your mom?" Sharpner mocked causing Gohan to blush a bit.

"Sharpner." Videl said firmly planting an elbow in his side. Sharpner hunched over holding his side before mumbling a sorry. "Erasa wants to go to the mall and then we're going bowling with some other kids from school," Videl said answering his question.

"Yeah, you've been here a little while but you're just starting to experience the real teen life," Erasa added cheerfully. "There's going out and having fun, shopping, dancing, dating, shopping..."

Videl looked over at her friend with a sigh, "You said shopping twice."

"So, what's wrong with shopping?"

Sharpner could only look at his two friends. Getting dragged around shopping with these two wasn't what he called fun.

"Ha ha ha you guys are funny," Gohan said causing all of them to look his way. "Well it sounds great. I'll see you guys tomorrow then," he finished turning to leave and waving.

"Yeah bye Gohan," Erasa called to him waving as well.

"See ya," was Videl's simple farewell.

Sharpner simply gave a nod to the departing saiyan. Once Gohan got into the air and on his way home, he thought about this past week. A lot of things happen in high school. _"Some things are exciting, some scary, and some are down right confusing. This is almost as tough as fighting Frieza,"_ Gohan thought as he laughed at his own little joke, _"Well it's only the beginning."_ Gohan's days in high school were just beginning, there's no telling what kind of fun adventures he'll get to experience.

**A/N: hey kinda took a while to make a new chapter. Was busy working and my birthday's coming up so I've been a little distracted. Well here's a chapter with more high school, we'll get back to the fighting soon.**


	10. Play Time

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 9: Play Time**_

**[Orange Star High; Friday]**

School went by easily for Gohan. His classes were easy so he managed to find time to relax. Erasa was sitting next to him more hyper then usual. She was fidgeting in her seat anxiously. Sharpner on the other hand was sleeping comfortably in his chair. Videl seemed a bit distracted as always. Her mind was somewhere else entirely. Now that the rumors of her and Ronnie slowed to a crawl, she has time to think about her current situation. Finding out where these criminals are getting these strange weapons and the identity of Saiyaman.

At lunch Gohan sat next to Videl happily eating his lunch, unaware of the dirty looks he was receiving from Ronnie for once again taking his seat. Sharpner sat in his usual seat talking with his buddies about their respective sports. Erasa talked with Videl and the other girls about after school.

"So then we can get something to eat," Erasa finished discussing with the girls. "Oh that's right. You're coming right Gohan?" she asked almost pleadingly, looking his way.

Gohan swallowed his mouthful of food, surprising everyone with his ability to inhale food without choking. "Yeah I'm coming," he said with a smile.

"Great!" she squealed getting the answer she wanted. Videl smiled too. She was still set on finding out more about him. He was not like the other so called nerds in school, something was just different and she was going to find out what.

Videl had decided to keep Gohan as her top suspect for being Saiyaman. She had no actual proof but his suspicious disappearances during school certainly earned her attention. He was also unusually good in gym for a bookworm like him. _"Who are you really Gohan?"_ was the question that often ran through her mind.

After the last bell rang Gohan and Videl headed to their lockers to put their things away then meet Sharpner and Erasa, since their lockers were next to each other. Gohan and Videl walked in silence to the school's front gate. The silence was finally broken when they came up on their two blonde friends waiting.

"So you guys ready to go to the mall?" Erasa questioned cheerily. She was happy that Gohan was coming along, this way she could get to know him better. She noticed he seemed a bit shy and intimidated around some of the kids at school. Hopefully this way he could loosen up a bit.

"Let's just get this over with." muttered a bored Sharpner earning him a roll of the eyes from both girls.

Gohan smiled and scratched the back of his neck. "Sure," was his simple reply, not really knowing what to expect. But if it was anything like his mother and Bulma shopping, well it could get rough.

"Then let's get going," Videl said. Erasa smiled looping her arm through her best friends and walking towards the direction of the mall. "Yeah let's walk since it's nice and warm today," Erasa added

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan City; Champ's Mall]<strong>

The four teens made their way into the mall and Sharpner was already dreading their stay. Erasa was looking around excitedly and even Videl had to admit this was going to be fun. She might be the tough tomboy crime fighting vixen, but even she had her feminine sides and shopping was one of them.

Gohan looked around amazed at what he saw. He has been to the West City mall a couple of times but who knew this mall would be so different. There were people going in and out of a variety of stores from clothing shops to toy stores. The smell of the food court invaded his nose and the sound of peoples feet and mumbles filled the air. For Gohan it was a bit overcrowded and intimidating.

"Come on let's go," Erasa said excitedly grabbing Gohan by his wrist and dragging him towards her first target. A clothing shop.

"Geez, wait up," Videl said following behind them, a little annoyed that Erasa just took off with Gohan by herself and leaving her with the ever flirting Sharpner.

"Don't worry babe. You still have me," Sharpner said as if on cue, walking next to her.

She narrowed her eyes at him and quietly but threateningly said, "I'm not your babe."

The girls dragged the boys to every clothes store they could find and whenever they bought something the boys had to carry it. Both of them already had several bags in each hand. Gohan was a little shocked, they could almost put up a match against his mom and Bulma. The boys were currently watching as Videl and Erasa picked out clothing at yet another store.

"Wow look at this one V," Erasa happily called from a different rack.

Videl looked over at the pink sun dress her friend was holding out on display for her to see. "I think that's cute, for you," she told her.

"Aw, I thought you'd look cute in this," Erasa said with a pout. Before turning to the boys. "What do you guys think? This would be great on Videl right?"

Gohan was a little shocked at the sudden question. He thought the girls pretty much forgot about them except to use them as pack mules. Sharpner was the first to answer, "I think it would look good on you babe."

Glaring at him she responded by saying, "Your an idiot. Your opinions don't count."

"Ouch," Sharpner wasn't particularly hurt by her comment. He knew he wasn't the smartest and Videl definitely didn't like him calling her babe, but she'd warm up to it eventually. Or so he believed.

"Well, then Gohan's opinion should count. He's a smarty," Erasa said looking at Gohan. Videl narrowed her eyes on her best friend. _"Why does she care what Gohan thinks about that dress."_

Turning her eyes to Gohan she blushed slightly realizing his eyes were examining her closely. It didn't take too long before he made his decision. "Well it would look good, but I don't think it really suits her style and personality," Gohan said with his eyes closed and arms crossed, nodding.

"Hmm, guess your right? But it couldn't hurt," Erasa sighed in defeat.

Videl was slightly stunned. He not only said she would look good in that dress, which Sharpner only said to hit on her, but he could even tell it wasn't her kind of clothing. When did Gohan get to know her that well. _"Then again he is really smart. Maybe he study's people like book," _Videl thought with a slight chuckle.

Then looking at Erasa, Gohan continued. "She was right in saying it suits you more."

Erasa smiled at this and was eating it up. "You really think I'd look good in this Gohan?" Erasa asked.

"Well sure," Gohan said honestly while scratching his cheek.

Erasa's smile widened and she almost looked like she was glowing. "Great I'm buying it."

The shopping continued quickly after that. Videl began looking for things to maybe show off some more curves. Usually she wore comfortable clothes for fighting, but maybe Erasa was right when she nagged about her wearing clothes to make her look good. _"But why do I care suddenly if boys notice me? Stupid Gohan and his stupid comments."_

After buying their clothes, Gohan thought they would finally be done but he was apparently wrong. "Alright guys, we've got one more store to go to, so why don't you boys just find a store to look through," Erasa said suggestively with a wink.

Sharpner, having gone shopping with the girls before, got the hint. Unfortunately Gohan didn't. "Shouldn't we come along so we can carry your bags," he asked curiously.

Videl was going to yell at him to buzz-off but the genuine innocent look he was giving them told her he really didn't get it. "You really can't be that naive. We can carry these bags, just go with Sharpner," she insisted trying not to say anything embarrassing.

"I Think it's cute," Erasa said with a little giggle causing Gohan to blush. "We'll meet up with you guys when we're done," she finished waving at them before walking off with Videl.

"Um...okay," said the very confused half-saiyan.

Sharpner didn't know how the nerd-boy could be so lost, but remembering the kid grew up in the mountains he decided to help him out. "For a smart guy your not very smart are you?" he said gaining Gohan's attention.

"Ha ha I think Videl said that before too," Gohan admitted with a laugh, causing Sharpner to sweat-drop.

"Their going to buy the one article of clothing they haven't gotten yet," Sharpner informed him, trying to be subtle.

Gohan thought about it for a moment. _"Something they haven't bought yet? But they got everything. Shoes, pants, shirts, dresses, jewelery, make-up...what else could there be?"_ Gohan thought to himself counting the things they bought in his head. Suddenly hit him. "Unmentionables," he whispered with a blush before gulping loudly.

"Finally he gets it. Though I wouldn't mind your idea of going with them," He mused looking in the direction they left in.

"No way we can't do that," argued the all too innocent teen. He knew doing something like that could get him killed. If not by Videl then his mother if she ever found out.

"Aw come on, wouldn't you want a peak?" Sharpner questioned before giving Gohan an odd look, "Unless you swing the other way? In that case I only like the girls, sorry."

Gohan looked at Sharpner disbelievingly. "No way why would you think that?" Gohan almost yelled causing many shoppers to look in their direction.

"Well that's good. Just making sure."

The two walked off to find a store that would catch their interest with Gohan hanging his head low. _"I can't believe I already embarrassed myself. I feel like tonight is going to be a long night," _he thought to himself.

Meeting back up after the girls finished their private shopping, the teens left the mall. As they walked outside Gohan couldn't help but notice the sun was already setting and wondered how long they were at the mall. The crowded city slowly fell into darkness as its citizens prepared for their Friday night plans. As did these young teens.

"Alright it's time to head to the bowling alley," Erasa announced before packing her bags in a capsule for safe keeping. Videl doing the same with her own things.

"Alright it's getting cold out let's drive," Sharpner suggested with a grin in place as he proceeded to throw out his capsule-car. As the puff of smoke disappeared it was replaced by a blue sports style hover-car. "Let's go. You can have shotgun babe," Sharpner said while opening the door and putting his seat forward to let Gohan and Erasa in the back.

Videl sighed and went to get into the back seat after Erasa, cutting Gohan off. "You can have front seat, Gohan," she told him when he gave her a confused look.

"Well okay," was his reply. Then he quickly made his way to the passenger door. Sharpner just grunted his annoyance at having the nerd-boy sitting next to him instead of Videl before getting in the driver's seat. The four then began driving towards their next destination.

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan City; Game World]<strong>

As they arrived at Game World, the young teens found four of their classmates waiting near the front arch. The arch was lit up with a sign that said 'Welcome to Game World'. Gohan looked on in awe. The small plaza beyond the arch was filled with people walking around the small fountain in order to get to their destination.

The two-story building surrounding the plaza curved like a crescent moon. It was covered in fluorescent lights that invited people to the varies places that include arcades, a bowling alley, laser tag, paint ball, as well as varies food shops, small carnival rides, and much more.

When everyone was out of the car, Sharpner capsulized it. Erasa quickly made her way to Jane and Doris. The three started chatting away as Videl also tried to join them but was intercepted by Ronnie.

"Hey, ready to have some fun tonight?" he asked stepping in front of Videl. He gave her his seductive smile but to no avail.

The girl in question couldn't help the scowl that covered her features. "Sure loads of fun," Videl said oozing with sarcasm. Personally this would have been more fun if Sharpner didn't invite Ronnie to come along.

"Yo Ronnie, Ken. Good you guys made it, " Sharpner said gaining the two's attention.

"No problem," Ken replied, bumping fists with the blonde. Ronnie was too preoccupied with trying to get Videl's attention. Ken then looked over at Gohan. "Hey nerd-boy, ready to go bowling. Your on the guys team," he questioned hoping the boy had played before.

Gohan just smiled in his usual goofy manner. "Actually yeah, I've gone bowling before."

The group of teens looked at him slightly surprised. Most games they have played in gym class were games that Gohan only read about. Without a second to spare the group happily headed for the bowling alley. Gohan was glad his classmates had decided on going bowling since he had played with Krillin, Bulma, and some of the others.

The group of teens played boys versus girls. And they were having a good time. For the most part. Gohan was doing well and the boys team was keeping ahead of the girls by just a bit. As he waited for his turn he sat at a three seat bench, with Erasa and Videl on either side of him.

Erasa was either talking to the girls sitting on the bench near them or flirting with Gohan, who wore a blush nearly the entire game. He just couldn't get used to her complementing him like she did, not that he was ever any good at receiving complements. Erasa's continuous flirting or gossiping with the young teen saiyan wasn't giving Videl a chance to ask any questions.

Videl sat on the bench with Erasa and Gohan in order to get some questions answered. But she quickly realized that was becoming difficult. With the noise of all the games going on and Erasa's constant chatting, not that she didn't love the girl like a sister, it was getting on her nerves. Her gushing blonde friend didn't even realize Gohan didn't even get she was flirting. _"The guy is seriously shy and naive, but I guess Erasa doesn't see that,"_ she thought as she watched the scene.

But in her opinion this was better then the alternative. Ronnie has been trying to sit with her at every chance he got. And looking at him he wasn't very happy. She has noticed the glares that Ronnie has been sending Gohan lately. Probably do to the fact she's been using him as a sort of shield. Whenever Ronnie came around she'd try to get away and somehow Gohan's always there, so she strikes up a conversation or sits next to him to avoid the stalker like jock. _"But that doesn't give him the right to glare at Gohan like that. He hasn't done anything,"_ she thought before turning her attention back to the game.

They finished their game and the girls won by 15 points. "Well that was a close game," Gohan said smiling cheerfully. He actually had a lot of fun.

"What are you looking so happy for? We lost. I knew nerd-boy was gonna screw it up somehow," Ronnie said rather harshly. Gohan frowned at this. He hadn't done anything to deserve being talked down on like that.

Luckily Videl didn't like it either, as did most of the young teens in the group. "Well Ronnie, if you took a good look at the board, Gohan did better then you," she replied hostilely.

Ronnie's only reply was a grunt of annoyance. Erasa stepped up to Gohan and quickly wrapped her arms around one of his own. "I think he's just being a sore loser. Gohan is gracious in defeat," she said smiling up at him. Gohan only blushed and rubbed the back of his head with his free arm.

"_Gosh, Erasa sure is clingy today. And she's being really nice," _Gohan naively thought. Videl on the other hand knew what her friend was trying to do. For some reason it annoyed her.

"So what do we do now guys?" asked Doris, trying to lead the conversation back on good terms.

"Oh yeah, let's go grab something to eat, I'm famished," Erasa replied loosening her grip on Gohan.

Everyone agreed on grabbing some food but for once the saiyan boy had to think with something other then his stomach. "You guys go on ahead, I'm just gonna run to the restroom first," Gohan said before quickly turning and heading for the nearest facilities. _"Geez, why now? I'm starving."_

Sharpner shrugged and headed for a food place that sounded appetizing. The others quickly followed after him. Taking a look at the group she was walking with, Videl noticed someone was missing. It wasn't Gohan, he went to the bathroom. Videl quickly stopped and let her friends go ahead on their own. _"Ronnie! What is he up to?"_ Videl questioned herself, before heading of to the bathrooms.

Gohan finished his business, dreading the fact he drank all those sodas during the game. He washed his hands and left the bathroom, which was located in a small alley way near the plaza. It wasn't used much since there were bathrooms in all the gaming places. Ronnie thought this was the perfect chance to confront the new nerd in school.

As Gohan stepped out of the bathroom doors, Ronnie delivered a swift kick with his left to Gohan's head. Ronnie smiled in satisfaction when he felt it connect, but realization quickly turned that smile into a scowl. Gohan had stepped back at the last moment to avoid the kick. His foot connected with the door frame.

"What was that for?" Gohan nearly shouted getting a bit angry. He hasn't done anything to deserve being attacked.

Ronnie stepped back as Gohan walked out of the bathroom into the little alley way. "Heh, you got pretty lucky. Your starting to get on my nerves, so I'm gonna put you in your place," Ronnie said rather cockily.

Gohan narrowed his eyes at Ronnie, which he didn't fail to notice. "I haven't done anything to you."

"You keep getting in my way. Videl will be my girl, I won't let some nerd ruin that," he screamed back at the nerd. A little too loudly. Videl heard the shout and crept up to the corner to see what was happening.

She saw Gohan with his back facing her and Ronnie standing before him. "Your girl?" Gohan questioned and Videl couldn't help noticing the anger laced in his voice. Although it was hardly evident. "I was taught that people aren't objects to claim. And its apparent she has a disliking of you ," Gohan finished saying.

Videl was surprised Gohan was standing up for her like that. Ronnie not liking Gohan's demeaning tone, decided to strike. But before he could move Gohan turned around and began walking away. "I have no reason to fight with you."

Now Ronnie was completely enraged. He charged at Gohan's turned back. Gohan could sense him approaching and wondered if he should counter, but Videl intervened just in time.

"Stop it now!" was the shout that stopped Ronnie's fist from striking Gohan. Both teens turned to find the main point of their discussion standing not far from them.

"V-Videl? What are you doing here?" Gohan asked, shock evident on his face. Videl would have found the sight of Gohan sweating bullets pretty funny, if it weren't for the current situation.

"Oh I just happened to be passing by," she started saying casually before speaking loudly, "I'm here because I noticed Ronnie was up to something." With that she began glaring at said jock.

Ronnie wasn't sure what to say or do. Videl had caught him red handed. Gohan on the other was impressed. _"She should be a detective or something. If I don't watch it she really will find out who I am."_

"Now listen here Ronnie. I. Don't. Like. You," she said emphasizing her point. "Don't drag Gohan into your stupid problem. If you weren't so obsessed with yourself you might make a good friend but your too much of an ego maniac."

Ronnie stood straight not making a noise, his hair shadowing his eyes. Both Videl and Gohan sensed the dingy aura around him. Gohan felt bad for Ronnie, but couldn't bring himself to forgive the boy just yet.

"Let's go, Gohan. Ronnie could use some time to himself," she was saying while walking out of the alley with Gohan following behind. She didn't want to be so mean to him but he just didn't get she wasn't interested. Maybe now he would leave her be.

The two met up with the rest of their group, who were all quite suspicious of the pair. Videl simply explained that they had a bit of a run in with Ronnie and that she didn't want to talk about it. Gohan just let Videl handle the situation. He had other things to think about. He wasn't use to sensing people with low power levels like Videl and more so Ronnie. _"Maybe I should start practicing so I don't get caught off-guard," _Gohan thought as he ate his food with his new friends.

* * *

><p><strong>[Somewhere Outside Game World]<strong>

Ronnie wandered into an alley outside of Game World. He was lost in his own self disgrace. Not only has he pushed the girl he loved away, he also disgraced himself in front of the schools biggest nerd.

He angrily slammed his fist against the wall next to him, then proceeded to lean on it. "I won't lose her," He said to no one.

"Heh ha ha ha, you looked like a fool. Why don't you just take the girl by force?" questioned a similar sounding voice from the shadows nearby.

Ronnie narrowed his eyes and stared in the direction of the voice. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to see that nerd-boy dodge your kick," the voice replied.

This made Ronnie angrier. "What? He just got lucky. He didn't dodge it," he tried to argue.

"If you trained your martial arts as much as you obsess about that Satan girl then you might have noticed," the mysterious voice retorted. "But it doesn't matter. Our plans are almost complete, you'll have to do your part as well."

Ronnie took a deep breath to calm himself. "I understand, but you had better not mess things up on my end."

"Ha ha ha, you mean more then you've already screwed them up? Don't worry that's easy. And when this city becomes ours, we'll have the power to do anything."

Ronnie smiled at this. "Of course, and I'll make Videl mine."

Both figures began laughing, their voices merry with dark intent. What is Ronnie's involvement with this dark mysterious figure?

High above the earth, the teenaged Guardian of the Earth, watched over these two shaking his head in disapproval.

"Poor, Gohan," stated the young Namekian.

"Is something wrong Dende?" questioned the ever present Mr. Popo.

Dende turned to his mentor with a smile before answering, "It seems Gohan will have some trouble ahead. But I'm sure it's nothing he can't handle."

The two turned their attention back to the sky's below. Dende has gotten used to his role as guardian. He has learned much from Mr. Popo as well as Piccolo, who still stayed at the Lookout for the majority of the time. His favorite pass time has become watching his good friend Gohan going through high school. But trouble seems to be showing it's ugly head. But as guardian he can't just intervene with every situation. _"Your on your own for this one Gohan,"_ he thought watching his friend spend time with his new classmates.

**A/N: well another chapter. Sorry it took so long work has kept me busy. Another chapter to go before we get to some real action. Read and review. Reviews help motivate me.**


	11. Dating?

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 10: Dating?**_

**[Satan Mansion, Sunday Night]**

Videl and Erasa sat on the couch in Videl's house, well oversized mansion, and watched TV. Erasa has been giddy all weekend because of Gohan joining their little outing on Friday. Videl thought it was fun too. Gohan was kind, gentle, smart, but a little naive. All in all he'd make a good friend.

Videl kept the incident between Gohan and Ronnie a secret, even from Erasa. She still didn't have a grasp of who Gohan really is. On the surface he would be a great friend, but she saw he could get angry. There was still a mystery around the nerd they called Son Gohan.

The two girls sat in silence, both girls thinking similar but different thoughts. While Videl thought of the mystery and questions surrounding Gohan, her blonde friend only thought of the possibility of a relationship with said boy. "Hey Videl...I was just wondering?" Erasa started. Videl noticed the slightly timid way her friend spoke.

"Yeah? What's up?" Videl asked back a little warily.

""Well...Do you happen..." Erasa continued, but Videl didn't like the round about way she was asking the question. "Just ask already," she interrupted her friend hoping she would just ask her question.

Erasa smiled a bit awkwardly, which was unlike her friend. "I was just wondering if you like Gohan? You know, since you've been over him since he got here."

This question left Videl completely unguarded. She didn't expect her friend to ask something like this about their newly acquired friend. "O-Of course not...I mean I like him as a friend, but nothing more. My father won't even let me date any guy, especially if he's weaker."

"Great!" was Erasa's ecstatic reply, which also through the Satan girl off. "I just thought you might like-like him, but since you don't I can ask him out," Erasa said, clarifying her meaning.

Suddenly Videl's stomach did a flip. _"Erasa wants to ask Gohan out?...Wait why should I care?" _Videl was sorting through her inner turmoil when she realized her friend was waiting on an opinion. Sure there were a lot of things Videl was curious about the young teen boy, but she didn't have feelings for him, right? And if Erasa asked him out what could happen? Well other then the blonde friend of hers breaking the naive nerds heart after breaking up with him.

"Well that's all fine and good," Videl started before giving her friend a stern look, "But you better not end up breaking up with him after you get bored and break his heart. He's a good guy as far as I can tell and he'd make a good friend."

Erasa playfully stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Of course I won't. I don't want Gohan to hate me. But I really think I can teach him a thing or two about the teen life and dating. I'll ask him tomorrow," Erasa stated happily. She was already getting excited for school tomorrow. Videl on the other hand couldn't help soothe the queasy feeling flooding her stomach, but decided to just be happy for her blonde friend.

* * *

><p><strong>[Orange Star High; Monday]<strong>

It was lunch time at Orange Star High School. The students hastily made their way to lunch, as did a certain half-saiyan who has been eagerly awaiting his lunch on account of being late this morning and having to skip breakfast. As Gohan was grabbing his lunch out of his locker, Videl and Erasa made their way toward him.

Videl quickly said hi before taking her lunch from her locker and quickly leaving. Gohan closed his locker looking after Videl, confused by her odd behavior. Looking back toward the bubbly blonde he asked, "What's up with her."

Erasa shrugged, saying, "Oh nothing, don't worry. But there's something I want to ask you."

Gohan had noticed how happy Erasa had seemed today. And she would always give him these strange looks then look away and giggle. "Um sure, what's up?" Gohan asked cautiously.

Erasa smiled sweetly at Gohan, making him blush. She cupped both her hands behind her back and shyly asked, "Well, would you go out on a date sometime?" After she asked this Erasa could feel her cheeks heating up as a blush made its way across her face.

Gohan went wide-eyed and blushed. _"She wants to go on a date with me? Well she does look really cute, especially when she's being so timid and shy,"_ Gohan knew Erasa was a nice girl and very cute, he couldn't deny that, but he didn't know anything about dating or love. For fifteen years of his life he trained, studied, and fought life or death battles. He only got a crash course from Vegeta, Krillin, and Yamcha around the age of thirteen, but that wasn't very helpful.

Seeing that he's been silent for a bit too long and Erasa was beginning to frown sadly, he decided to say something. "Um, well...I honestly don't know anything about dating," he admitted while looking away, blushing from embarrassment.

Erasa smiled at this. She already knew he would be inexperienced. Their in high school now but a lot of kids have had one or two boyfriends or girlfriends by now. Other then certain exceptions, Gohan and Videl being some of them. "Hey don't worry Gohan. Dating is just about getting to know someone better on a one-on-one basis. I'll teach you all about the does and don'ts," Erasa reassured him with a wink.

Gohan thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to get to know Erasa better and it sounds like fun. "Okay, it sounds fun. I just hope I don't mess anything up," he said while scratching his neck and giving her a Son grin.

Erasa giggled at his cute little habit. "Don't worry it'll be fine. So when are you free?"

"Well I'm kind of busy today and tomorrow, but I'm free for the rest of the week," he informed her.

"That's Great! Then how about Wednesday? We can go on a simple date after school." Erasa smiled, glad she was going on a date with Gohan.

"Yeah sure, that sounds good to me." he replied with a smile of his own. _"Simple sounds real good."_

Erasa wrapped her arms around one of Gohan's and led him down the hall to the cafeteria, content with their date arrangement. Gohan felt a bit awkward with Erasa on his arm, but figured if it made her happy, why not? Entering the cafeteria, people noticed the pair's proximity.

As they arrived at their table they were questioned by everyone minus Ronnie who hadn't come to school today. Erasa began telling them about their date arrangement much to Gohan's embarrassment, but he just continued to eat his lunch with a blush.

Videl was slightly surprised Gohan agreed. She may not know Gohan that well but she got the feeling Erasa wasn't his type of girl. But if this made her best friend and her new friend happy, who was she to get in their way.

School that day went by pretty quickly. Gohan was still not use to Erasa always touching him and it doesn't help that he was a fifteen year old teen-saiyan. He certainly noticed her above average chest when she got close. Luckily Gohan has until Wednesday to get prepared for their date. He still has to tell his mother.

* * *

><p><strong>[OSH; Wednesday]<strong>

School went by quickly for both Erasa and Gohan. The blonde teen had been talking with Videl all night about what she should wear and what she should do with Gohan on her date. Videl really couldn't do much to help. She had no experience dating. Gohan had waited until last night to tell his mother. Her expectations were certainly too much for him.

_**[Flashback]**_

Gohan sat with his mother and younger brother at the dining table. They had just finished their dinner. Goten contently pat his stomach, resembling a young Goku, while Gohan continued to eat a bit more. Chi-Chi was cleaning off the table preparing to do dishes when her son got her attention.

"Hey Mom?"

"Yes what is it, Gohan?" she asked while filling the sink with dishwater.

"Um, well...I actually have this date tomorrow, so I was wondering..."

But his mother cut him off and went into a daze. "Ah, my baby boy is growing up. Already going on dates. It reminds me of me and your father..." Gohan and Goten watched as their mother danced around telling them _again_ about their parents' younger days. Goten just smiled happily. He always liked when his mother got all goofy-like.

"Um, so does that mean it's alright if I'm out a bit late tomorrow?" Gohan questioned hoping his mother would remain in a good mood.

Coming out of her daze, she faced her son with a smile, "Of course..." but her face quickly became stern, "But you had better remember your manners, you hear me? I'm not raising some heart-breaker. I want you to find a good wife so one day I can have grandchildren," she finished saying staring dreamily at the ceiling.

Gohan blushed when she said this. He's nowhere near ready for marriage, let alone children. But Goten found this idea interesting. "So this girl is gonna be my new sister?" the young Goku look-alike questioned innocently.

"NO of course not! Mom, it's just a date, so please stop saying embarrassing things!" Gohan shouted loud enough for the nocturnal creatures, coming out for the night, to hear.

"Now now, quiet down. This is a mother's job after all," Chi-Chi informed her first born son with a giggle. _"Wait until I tell Bulma my boy is dating."_

"Fine, but your dishwater is overflowing," Gohan said with a chuckle before running out of the kitchen and outside for some exercise. Goten hot on his heel, laughing as well.

Chi-Chi quickly turned on her heel finding the water running over the counter and dripping onto the floor. "Oh no! You should have told me sooner!" she shouted after her boys.

_**[End Flashback]**_

Gohan hung his head. If he ever brought a girl home who knows how his mom and little brother would embarrass him. Fortunately for Gohan, Erasa had reassured him it would be just a simple date. _"Just act natural Gohan and try not to embarrass yourself," _he thought, giving himself a pep talk.

Gohan dropped his things off at his locker and met up with, Erasa who was having a conversation with Videl near the school's gate.

"Hey," Gohan said, gaining their attention. "Where's Sharpner?"

"Oh he had boxing practice. So you ready to go?" Erasa said, happily smiling at him.

"Yeah, all set," he replied back with a smile.

"Great." Erasa quickly looped her arm through Gohan's and led him off on their date. Looking back to Videl she said, "Wish me luck."

Videl watched Erasa walk off with their newest friend for their first date. Well hopefully it was just the first. Truthfully she wanted neither to be hurt by this relationship. _"Good luck."_

Gohan and Erasa made their way down one of Satan City's downtown streets. Gohan had noticed that Erasa changed clothes after their last class. She was wearing a blue blouse that brought out her eyes covered by a yellow jacket and tight fitting blue-jeans. Gohan wasn't sure if maybe he should have changed into something better then his school clothes but it was too late now.

"Um, great outfit," Gohan complemented her shyly.

Erasa beamed a happy smile at him. "Thanks, I'm glad you like it. So what do you say we go see a movie?"

"That sounds okay with me," he replied back. A movie would be simple, just sitting and watching.

"Alright! So what kind of movies do you like?" she asked excitedly.

Gohan scratched his cheek with his right index finger, thinking. "Well I've always liked adventure or Syfy movies, but comedy's are good too."

Erasa thought for a moment. "Syfy's are good, but there's a really good romantic comedy that just came out. How about we go see that?" Erasa asked Gohan.

"Sure, sounds good," Gohan agreed with a smile. Then he thought about what Erasa had said. "You like Syfy movies?" he questioned out of curiosity. "Oh, no offense"

Erasa giggled at this. "None taken, but yeah. Most people think I'm just a ditzy blonde, but my closest friends know I'm much more," Erasa started saying while looking into the sky. Gohan thought the determined look in Erasa's eyes was captivating. Most people wouldn't have noticed but Gohan could spot a person with true fighting spirit with ease. Erasa may not be a fighter but she had a goal worth fighting for, but what?

"So, do you know what you want to do in the future?" Gohan questioned, becoming very curious about the girl.

Erasa smiled at him. "Yeah...well, sort of. I want to go into space," Erasa admitted with a blush. "I know space travel has been abandoned for the sake of furthering better well being on earth, but..." Erasa sighed. "I don't know, maybe if I get a technical degree of some kind I can work with Capsule Corps. Heiress one day. And maybe by then we'll be looking for a way into space," she said finishing off her explanation.

Gohan was surprised. The bubbly blonde gossiping teen he's gotten to know was much more then he expected. Although, he isn't exactly what most people think. "Wait you said Heiress?"

"Yeah Miss Bulma Brief. She's a genius, beautiful, and fashionable. She's my idol," Erasa told him, smiling happily.

"Wow, that's great." Gohan never realized it before but Erasa really did get good grades. Even better then Videl, although she does a lot of crime fighting. And her all time idol is Bulma. _"Although what's with the Miss? Hmm...maybe I can introduce them."_

Gohan's thoughts were quickly cut off when Erasa stopped in her tracks. Looking to his side at what she was looking at, he realized they had arrived at the movie theater. "Let's get going Gohan," Erasa happily said while dragging Gohan to the ticket booth. Or more like Gohan allowed Erasa to drag him.

Once they bought their tickets and made it inside, they bought themselves snacks and drinks. They found some nice seats and waited for the movie to start. The movie was pretty good in Gohan's opinion. It was funny and had the audience laughing, Gohan and Erasa included. The romantic parts weren't too appealing but he couldn't help smiling at how captivated Erasa seemed by the romance. Erasa particularly liked the kissing scene, but glancing at Gohan she noticed he didn't think much of it.

The two left the theater satisfied with the movie. "Aw the main character was really goofy but it was really romantic in the end," Erasa said happily chatting away about the movie.

"Ha ha ha yeah, and it was really funny too," Gohan added in.

Erasa smiled up at him, then looped her arm through his. "I'm glad you liked it. How about we grab something to eat now?" she asked kindly. She figured as much as he ate for lunch, he must eat even more for dinner. And from what Videl had told her about the time she and Gohan hung out, he ate a lot.

"Actually that sounds great, I'm starved," he replied, grinning sheepishly, his stomach showing its agreement by growling.

Erasa giggled at his stomach. How he stays so skinny when he eats so much is a mystery to her. "Then let's go. I know a really great place."

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan City; Downtown District]<strong>

After a short walk, the young couple made it to the restaurant Erasa spoke about. Gohan read the sign above the doorway that said 'Hero's Feast' and in smaller letters 'All You Can Eat.' This put a smile on Gohan's face.

"I thought you'd like it. Wouldn't wanna go to an expensive place that wouldn't fill your stomach," Erasa said after seeing him smile at the sign.

"Yeah, but is this all right with you," Gohan asked making sure this was okay with her.

"Yup, I love this place. Videl, Sharpner, and me come here sometimes," she told him.

Gohan smiled. "Great, then let's go," he said holding out his elbow for her to loop her arm around. Erasa giggled and took the offer.

Both headed inside ready to eat. They were seated at a two-person table table with a window. The restaurant had a quaint design. Simple but clean. It was an all you can eat joint so it wasn't meant to be extravagant. But they did spruce the place up with some nice plants and decorative table sets.

They ordered their drinks and went to grab some food. Erasa decided to eat lightly, so she went with some fries, a grilled chicken breast, and a self made salad. Gohan on the other hand had several plates of food and was chowing down happily. But he remembered his manners like his mother said and ate slower then usual.

Erasa took a sip of her orange juice between bites and looked at Gohan as he ate. "Videl was right, you really do eat a lot," she mentioned for no particular reason.

"Yeah," He said after swallowing a small mouthful. "So what else has Videl told you?" he questioned. He figured they were good friends and Videl has probably told Erasa about his family situation. At least what he had told Videl.

"Actually, she told me about your family and well your dad," she admitted saying the last bit more sadly.

"I thought as much. Don't worry it's okay," he reassured her. "So what about your family?"

"Well I'm an only child and my dad was a dead beat, so my mom left him," Erasa started. Gohan listened but continued to eat at a much slower pace. "I was really little, so I don't remember my father very well, but my mom is great. She's a fashion designer. It took her years to get to where she is now, especially while raising me alone. But I'm proud of her for accomplishing her dream."

"Wow your mom sounds like a very strong woman," Gohan acknowledged, taking a break from his chewing.

"Yeah. But it helps that I've always been friends with Videl. Her mom and dad have always been nice to me. My mom is actually one of the few tailors Hercule gets to design his outfits and clothes. Although sometimes my mom doesn't really get his fashion sense," she said laughing about some of the things her mom had told her. "Videl has always been like a sister to me and our family's have been close. Sharpner came into the picture during middle school, after Hercule became famous. At first he was just a kid who bothered Videl and me a lot but we learned to get along. We kinda had to since Sharpner's father is a banker that handles Hercule's finances."

"Hmm...Looks like all of your family's have some kind of connection. Seeing as you three are really good friends it would make sense," Gohan said nodding in understanding.

"Yup. Our family's might be doing well now, but there was a time when when each of us had our own problems here and there. Guess everyone has some kind of difficulty in life," she said smiling solemnly.

"Maybe, but some are more difficult then others," Gohan replied knowingly. His dark undertone wasn't missed by Erasa. Noticing the mood just took a strange twist, Gohan decided to lighten the mood. "Ha ha ha sorry, didn't mean to make it sound so pessimistic, just an observation," Gohan said with his usual goofy grin and arm behind his head.

Erasa smiled knowing he was trying to lighten the mood. "No worries here. So was the food good?"

"Yeah, not as good as my mom's but still good."

The two struck up another conversation easily. They weren't really talking about anything important, but they both enjoyed each others company. But Erasa couldn't help thinking back on how serious Gohan was a few moments ago. He's so happy-go-lucky but there's definitely something Gohan doesn't want to talk about. _"I can see why Videl would be curious about him, he is a bit of a mystery. But I like that,"_ Erasa thought with a smile as she listened to Gohan.

* * *

><p><strong>[A While Later]<strong>

Walking down the sidewalk in the night, the two teens enjoyed the crisp night air. January was almost gone, but the weather has just started to warm up. It was getting late, so the two decided to call it quits for tonight.

Erasa insisted Gohan walk her home instead of driving, so she would have more time around Gohan. The cold wouldn't hurt. So here they were, after Gohan payed for dinner being the gentleman that he is, with Erasa zipped up in her jacket and cuddling against Gohan's arm.

They walked down the somewhat crowded street, almost at the edge of downtown. They were passing by some of the more questionable establishments, mainly dive bars and clubs, when a couple of drunks came walking by.

The bulkier man walking closer to Erasa's side was stumbling as he walked, while the smaller man tried carrying his friend. As they passed by the bulky man lurched to his left, bumping into Erasa. If it weren't for Gohan catching her, Erasa would have fallen.

The large man felt that something bumped against him, but in his intoxication didn't realize it was his fault. Turning to the closest people, who happened to be a couple of teens, the man shouted, "Hey watch where your going."

Erasa who had gained her balance after almost getting knocked over, didn't like the way this guy was talking. "You were the one who bumped into me," she said turning to look at the man. But when she got a good look at his size, she couldn't help getting scared. She pressed herself closer to Gohan.

Gohan noticed Erasa got scared of the man after witnessing his size, but Gohan felt she was in the right. The obviously intoxicated man was the one who bumped into her and should apologize. But the man didn't agree at all. "What was that little girl?" he asked her in his slurred gruff voice while stepping up to the couple.

"She said you bumped into her, so I believe you owe her an apology," Gohan answered truthfully. Erasa didn't know what Gohan was thinking. These guys could obviously tear him apart, but he only looked them on with an expressionless face.

"Protectin' your lil girl friend are we? Heh, you don't wanna mess with me kid," the man said standing tall and cracking his knuckles.

The shorter man observing the whole time decided now to speak. "Yeah kid just have your little girlfriend apologize and you can go on your way," he said with a viscous smirk.

Erasa was really getting scared now. Looking around, she could see the bystanders weren't going to help them. And she certainly couldn't let Gohan get beat up because of her. She was ready to apologize to the men, before Gohan's arm shot straight out in front of her in a protective manner. "She has no reason to apologize to you. Your mother should have taught you better manners," Gohan said narrowing his eyes at the thugs.

He really didn't want to fight these guys, but they didn't seem to give him a choice. He wasn't going to let Erasa apologize for a wrong she hasn't committed. Erasa saw the way Gohan looked at these creeps and was surprised. The nerd, as everyone at school has dubbed him, was standing up to these guys. And the look in his eyes makes her feel so...safe, like nothing could hurt her.

"That's it you lil punk!" was the only sign anyone got before the man charged, hurdling his large fist at the young teen. The crowd watched in shock and Erasa shouted, "Gohan don't..!"

Her sudden shout caught him off-guard, causing him to turn to her. Realization struck him for a moment. He shouldn't be fighting like this in front of Erasa. Maybe he should have looked for another way out of this. But as quick as he was struck by his thoughts, he was struck by a fist that sent him a few feet back. Erasa watched Gohan fly past her and quickly ran up to his side.

Luckily for Gohan, the noise of the fight caught the attention of a police officer in the immediate area. "Hold it what's going on over there," came the officer's shout.

"Not good it's the fuzz. Let's go Bruno," said the little man beginning to panic.

The large man now known as Bruno looked at Gohan as he sat in a sitting position on the ground. "You got lucky this time punk." And with that the two men took off down the street.

The officer arrived shortly after, then with a description and directions he took off after the trouble makers. Erasa was glad the situation was over and hoped that officer would catch those creeps. She watched as Gohan stood up and dusted off his clothes, with his back turned to her. She was afraid to see what his face looked like after getting a fist slammed into it. "Oh Gohan...How bad is it?"

"I'll be fine," he said as he turned around to face her., surprising Erasa. His face was completely unscathed.

"Wow Gohan, you don't have a scratch," she pointed out to him.

At this Gohan began sweating out of fear that Erasa might think something is weird. Scratching his cheek and smiling sheepishly he said, "Really? Not even a black-eye? How lucky can you get?" Gohan thought he sounded stupid asking so many questions. He thought Erasa would surely be suspicious.

"No kidding. For a sec there I thought you were gonna try to fight those guys. No offense, but your not really the fighting type. But at least you can take a punch," Erasa said finally calming down from the incident.

"Ha ha yeah, guess your right." _"She bought it. Guess dealing with Erasa is easier then Videl," _he thought, glad to get out of that situation.

In an alley way a good distance from the incident. The two men sat breathing heavily trying to catch their breath. The smaller man was leaning against a wall staring into the night sky. "That was too close. The boss told us to stay out of trouble until the plan is set," he said to his friend.

The larger man sat on some crates nursing his hand. "Tch, like I'm worried about a few cops. It's that damn kid that was unnatural," Bruno grumbled angrily.

"What are you talking about?" question his partner.

"I think I busted my hand on that kids face," was the man's reply which shocked his smaller friend. The two pondered over their recent run in, meanwhile said boy was trying to salvage the last of his first date.

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan City; Residential District]<strong>

Gohan finished taking Erasa to her house. She lived in the high-class area of the residential district. He was quite sure it was right near Videl's house. Looking around he could actually see the sign that read 'Satan' in the distance.

Gohan chuckled to himself catching Erasa's attention. "What is it?" she curiously asked.

"Oh, sorry. I just thought it was funny how right Videl was. Everyone can see where she lives," he answered with a chuckle.

Erasa giggled too. "Yeah, she always hated that sign." The two shared a good laugh. Erasa calmed her laughter and looked at Gohan as he laughed. _"He's really cute when he's laughing. I'm glad he's not so shy anymore." _She had noticed that Gohan seemed more relaxed after they got into their date a bit. "Well I had a great time, for the most part. Thanks for walking me home," she said sincerely smiling.

Gohan returned her smile. "Yeah me too."

Erasa looked away a bit shy before looking him in the eyes and asking, "How about we go out again sometime? You know...to make up for what happened tonight."

Gohan gave her a Son grin. "Sure. When sounds good." He had a good time with Erasa tonight. She's smarter then people assume, she's pretty, and nice. Why not go on another date.

"Great! How about Friday?" Erasa asked cheerfully.

"Sounds good to me." Both smiled at each other, glad about their arrangement. This could be the start of a great relationship. Thinking about it Erasa smiled at him suggestively.

"I still haven't thanked you have I?" she asked getting closer to Gohan.

"Um... for what?" Gohan asked getting a little flustered.

"For standing up for me earlier," she started saying getting on her tip-toes. "You were really brave," she whispered in his ear before kissing him on the cheek. The kiss only lasted a second but had Gohan completely stunned. Erasa leaned back and giggled at his awkwardly smiling face. "Good night," was all she said before going inside her home.

Gohan stared at the door for a minute, his smile evening out into a content one. That was the first time a girl had kissed him. Any teen boy would be happy about that, right? Eventually Gohan walked off ready to go home. Other then his run in with two jerks, he had a great night. Even the sound of sirens in the distance couldn't ruin his mood.

Gohan simply smiled and after making sure the coast was clear, he transformed into his Saiyaman costume. Taking off into the air he headed for the sound of trouble. Ready to do his good deed of the day, a smile ever present on his face.

**A/N: so I have some time before my next job, so here's another chapter for you readers. I feel people often belittle Sharpner and Erasa in their story's, but instead of making them stereotypical ditzy blondes, I'm going to give them some substance. (if that makes sense)**

**anyway here you get some more of Gohan getting experience normal teenage life. The next chapter will have some more fighting and saiyaman. No worries this is a Gohan x Videl fic you just have to wait for all that. So read and review please. Keep me motivated. **


	12. Black Fang Gang

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 11: Black Fang Gang**_

Erasa's week went great for her. She had been talking a lot more with Gohan and most of the student body had dubbed them a couple. Although they had never decided on anything official. After all they were only going on their second date on Friday. But she didn't particularly hate the looks of jealousy she was receiving from some of the female student body. The blonde teen had called her best friend after her date, to tell Videl all about her date. She couldn't wait until the next day to tell somebody.

* * *

><p><em><strong>[Flashback]<strong>_

After thanking Gohan for standing up for her, Erasa quickly made her way inside. It was strange. Erasa has dated before, she's even had her first kiss, but around Gohan she still gets shy and flustered. She quickly made her way to her room, saying hi to her mom and giving her a happy kiss. Her mother was quite stunned, but figured her date must have gone well.

When she made it to her room, she hopped on her bed with a smile and quickly dialed Videl's phone number into her cellphone. She listened as it rang, hoping her friend wasn't too busy. Thankfully she heard the familiar click and a 'Hey Erasa' from the other line.

"Hey girl, I'm home from my date," Erasa excitedly revealed through the phone.

Videl rolled her eyes, although Erasa couldn't see it. "I figured that much out, otherwise you wouldn't call me."

"Oh right," Erasa giggled. Her excitement was getting the best of her.

"So how did it go?" Videl already knew her blonde friend would tell her anyway, but she was curious. Gohan wasn't your average nerd, so she wanted to know what she learned about him or even if anything else happened.

Videl recoiled from the squeal emitted by her bubbly friend. "It was great Videl. We got to talk a whole bunch, but I guess I talked about myself most of the time. He seemed really interested though. We went to watch that new romantic-comedy, and..."

"Whoa, slow down Erasa. I know your excited and all but you've been on dates before, so calm down a bit." Videl didn't expect Erasa to be so excited over a date with Gohan.

"I can't explain it, but Gohan's just...i don't know, different I guess. He's not like all of the boys we grew up around," Erasa said trying to explain her excitement.

"Well he did grow up in the mountains, plus I've been saying he's different since he came to school," Videl reminded her in a calm manner. "So what else happened on your date?"

"Well after the movie we went and got something to eat like you suggested. But I think he was taking it easy. He wasn't eating as fast as he does at lunch," Erasa continued. "Oh, and he's such a gentleman. He paid for food, pulled my seat out, and listened to me. And I mean he actually listened, not like some guys."

"Well it all sounds great and all but you didn't learn anything new about him?" Videl questioned.

"Geez Videl, maybe if you'd take an interest in boys you might understand how it feels. But no...hey maybe you could go out with Saiyaman? He's a strong fighter and a hotty, I bet he's totally your type."

Videl couldn't help blushing at that. Yeah Saiyaman was strong, really strong, and he is a definite hotty, but dating him. "Come on Erasa, get real. I don't even know who he is. He only shows up when there are crimes."

Erasa frowned. "Yeah guess your right. But he is a guy you'd be interested in right? The strong, brave, heroic type."

Even though Erasa couldn't see it Videl turned away from her phone with a blush. "Fine, if I did like a guy, I wouldn't mind one whose strong and brave but he doesn't have to be heroic. I get enough of that dealing with my dad. But there's plenty of other things I'd look for in a guy."

"I knew it, you really deny yourself too much for the whole image of being Mr. Satan's daughter. You should be able to meet a nice guy without the public getting a say," Erasa said sadly.

"Yeah too bad with my dad being the whole world's hero and him wanting to keep up his image, I've got to do my best to look like a respectable young woman. The cameras are always nearby. Plus my dad doesn't want any boys around 'his little pumpkin' anyway. No matter how strong or brave he might be," Videl said, starting to get upset. Why did she have to look good for her father and why wouldn't he let her date? She could beat up any guy her age.

Erasa knew Videl had reasons she didn't date. She tried to push it off on fighting crime and school, so she was too busy for boys. But she knew that wasn't it. "Hmm, this stinks...right when there's a perfect guy you could probably like. If you had a boyfriend we could double date."

Videl couldn't help but to giggle. "A double date huh? You really think that will ever happen."

On the other end of the line Erasa pouted. "It could..." Erasa started in a whiny tone, but quickly cheered up again, "Oh but speaking of brave guys, you'll never guess what Gohan did tonight?"

This caught Videl's attention. "What's that?" she asked curiously.

"Well just a while ago, when Gohan was walking me home, we ran into these two drunk creeps," Erasa started, getting excited to tell someone. "Well, this huge creep bumped into me, then yelled at me for it. I kinda yelled at him until I got a good look at the guy."

Videl sprung up in her bed suddenly concerned. "Are you and Gohan alright?" Erasa giggled at her reaction, making Videl pout. "What's so funny? Sorry I was worried about you."

"No...I just...your reaction was...funny," she managed to say in between giggles. Catching her breath she said, "Sorry, we're fine. The big creep tried to pick a fight and I was gonna apologize, even if it wasn't my fault, but Gohan stood up for me."

"What? Gohan did?" She couldn't believe it. Gohan standing up to some big drunk.

"Yeah, he was totally brave. He told the guy to apologize, but of course the creep didn't. You should have seen the look in Gohan's eyes, he was like a different person."

"Well what happened next?" Videl asked quickly wanting to hear how things turned out.

"Well the big guy kinda decked Gohan right in the face," Erasa said frowning at the memory.

Videl's eyes widened. "What? Is he alright?"

Erasa giggled again. "Calm down, I told you we're both fine. An officer showed up right after that and scared the two guys off. Gohan was fine, luckily he didn't get a bruise or anything. Then he walked me the rest of the way home and I gave him a kiss on the cheek as a thank you."

"Wow, not even a bruise huh? That's weird," Videl commented.

"Yeah, maybe. I'm just glad he's alright. But we even set up a date for Friday," Erasa said with a bit of a squeal. She couldn't help being happy.

The two girls talked for a while more about various things before ending their call for the night. Videl sighed as her head hit the pillow. Her little talk with Erasa had brought up a lot of things to think about for the young crime fighter. She hated this. Not only is there a problem with crime and mysterious weapons, but now she has boys on her mind. This next week should be interesting.

_**[End Flashback]**_

* * *

><p>Like Erasa, Gohan's week had gone particularly well for him too. After his date with Erasa, he had stopped a minor crime in the city before heading home. His mother was happy with him when he told her his date went great and even received an extra big breakfast the next morning. He thought this dating thing was pretty fun. Unbeknownst to the naively oblivious Gohan, he was receiving many angry looks from the general male population; mainly the jocks who had the hots for Erasa.<p>

Sharpner and Videl, being Erasa's closest friends, were happy for her but both had other thoughts about the subject. Sharpner couldn't see why Erasa would go out with Gohan. He thought Gohan was an alright guy and having a smart friend around would be helpful, but he wasn't date worthy in his eyes. Videl on the other hand watched the two closely. She told herself she only wanted to make sure neither one ends up hurt, but she couldn't drop this nagging jealousy. It wasn't that she was jealous of Erasa because of Gohan, maybe just the fact that maybe her best friend might start being busy all the time with a new boyfriend.

Either way, she couldn't help noticing the two's interactions. When Erasa tries to hold his arm or his hand, Gohan seems to get shy. He also has random accidents, when she randomly touches him on his leg or arm. Like choking on his food or falling from his seat. But she did notice Gohan opened up a bit. Joking around and talking more when everyone talked about their favorite TV shows or whatever the subject may be.

Finally Friday arrived. For Erasa, it didn't seem to come fast enough. Even Gohan was excited. His last date was a lot of fun, so this one should be even more so. After school Gohan and Erasa said their goodbyes to Videl and Sharpner, then headed off for their second date.

"Guess their getting along," Sharpner said voicing his thoughts as the two watched their friends leave.

"Guess so," Videl said not really caring. But she still couldn't rid her self of that disturbing feeling.

He then slung an arm around her shoulders and thinking he was being smooth said, "So how about we go on a date now. We don't wanna be left out, right?"

Videl calmly closed her eyes. She might want to get to know a nice guy better, but Sharpner was...well Sharpner. So she did what she usually did in this kind of situation. She drove her elbow into his gut, causing Sharpner to hunch over in pain.

"No thanks. Not interested," she told him for...well she actually stopped counting long ago. "I need to get home and get some training done. See ya Sharpy."

Sharpner finally managed to stand upright. "Yeah see ya," he managed to grunt out.

Videl had fallen behind in her training with her leg hurt, so right now she needed to focus on that. _"And not get distracted by boys,"_ she told herself for reassurance.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Gohan and Erasa]<strong>

"So what do you want to do for our date?" Erasa questioned, hoping he would pick where to go.

Gohan looked down at the hopeful blonde with a smile. "Actually I heard about the ice-skating arena here in Satan City. I think that would be fun," Gohan said rather excitedly. The last time he went skating was with his father and the rest of the gang. It's always been an activity he enjoyed.

Erasa smiled brightly at his suggestion and with a squeal said, "That sounds great. I haven't gone ice-skating in years."

"Strange since there's a place so close to you," Gohan noted.

Erasa giggled before replying, "Yeah, weird huh? Guess no one has brought it up in a while, so we haven't gone."

"Well let's go then," he announced ready to start their second date. Erasa happily wrapped her arms around Gohan's, causing him to blush. The two quickly headed off ready for a great Friday night.

The young couple arrived at the ice-skating rink and rented their skates. The two had a great time. Gohan showed off a bit of his skating skills, something he for once wasn't superhuman at. He was even surprised when Erasa showed off some figure skating. Something she use to do when she was younger.

After skating for a couple of hours, the two teens made their way for a restaurant. Gohan gratefully gobbled down a decent sized meal. Across from him Erasa nibbled on her meal while watching him try to fill his insatiable stomach. They talked a little bit after their meal and had a few laughs.

Gohan told her about fishing with his little brother and helping his mother with chores around the house. Of course he didn't go into much detail. Erasa told him more about herself as well.

It was starting to get late as they left the restaurant and walked through the downtown district."So Gohan, what made you come study at Orange Star High? You already seem to know everything we study in class." Erasa asked. That is a question she has been wanting to ask.

"Oh...Well I actually didn't come to study, although my mom says a degree will look better for getting into a great university," Gohan said, taking a pause to look into the sky. "I really came to make some friends my own age," he admitted with a smile.

Erasa couldn't help but smile back. Growing up in the mountains, it must be tough to make friends. "I have plenty of friends, but their older then me because their my dad's friends. I also met some friends when I was younger but I never got a chance to meet them again...at least not yet," he said, finishing his answer.

"Well I'm glad I could be your friend," she declared with a smile. She was genuinely glad she got to meet Gohan. Videl wasn't the only one that could see how mysterious Gohan is, but in her case it only made him more interesting.

Before the two could get anymore words out, their conversation got interrupted when the ground started to shake and and the building next to them started to fall apart. Rubble fell from the tall structure as screams rang out from the fleeing bystanders.

Gohan quickly grabbed Erasa's hand and ran along with the other citizens. When the sudden chaos came to a stop, everyone took the chance to look for explanations.

Turning to Erasa, Gohan said, "Stay here I'm gonna go see what happened." Quickly turning, he started running at a normal pace.

"Wait Gohan! It could be dangerous!" But Erasa's shouts fell on deaf ears. _"Oh Kami, please don't let him get hurt."_

The moment Gohan turned the corner of the building all he saw was a block of wreckage. Something tore a straight line through a block of the downtown district. _"Only a Ki blast could do this,"_ Gohan figured, _"Damn it, I was too distracted to sense anything"_. He quickly checked to make sure the coast was clear and changed into his hero outfit.

In the distance Gohan could see the lights from the police sirens. He couldn't sense any large energies, but lately that hasn't surprised him. Taking flight Gohan headed for the crime scene, although...his battle sense was telling him it was more of a battle field.

* * *

><p><strong>[Moments Ago]<strong>

The police had been dealing with a strange group when Videl had arrived to help. Oddly the group wasn't stealing or demanding anything. There wasn't even an attempt at taking hostages. The odd group had five men all clad in black leather and helmets, each with various designs on their helmets. Videl could see that their suits were probably equipped with that Ki Manipulation Technology. They were accompanied by ten rough looking mercenaries also wearing black clothes. But these men didn't look as dangerous and their faces were out in the open.

Videl wasn't going to stand outside playing the silent game with these idiots all night so she decided to step forward getting closer to them. The police behind her readied themselves as well. "You guys are acting very suspiciously. If you don't have any business here you should get moving or else I'll have to arrest you," Videl conditioned the mysterious group.

Suddenly the man standing at the center with teeth like markings on his helmet stepped forth. "You are not our target for today, but this should get him to come out," the mysterious man proclaimed before raising his arm to his right. Before Videl could even make a move he sent a large Ki blast crashing through the buildings of the downtown district.

Videl, the Police, and the bystanders all stared in shock at the leveled buildings that extended for a block. Videl couldn't help but think about all the innocent people that were caught in that blast. There are even apartments downtown.

Videl turned toward the culprit with rage all over her face. Tears threatening to slip, she shouted, "How could you do that you bastard?"

The man only stared at her through his helmet. "Those people are insects. Why should you care if they die today or tomorrow?"

This made Videl's rage go over the top. Her hair began to lift a bit as she clenched her fists. The man's helmet beeped as numbers began appearing. _"What's this? This girl has amazing power. But nothing we can't handle,"_ he thought to himself.

Videl bent her knees and dashed at the man. But before she could even get three feet, an arm caught her by the waist. In anger Videl turned her head to see the culprit but her rage disappeared at the sight of Saiyaman's piercing glare.

Saiyaman arrived just in time to keep Videl from jumping into a losing battle. While keeping Videl at bay, he sent the mysterious man a sharp glare that would send a beast running. The group on the receiving end of that glare were reeling back in fear, excluding the five men clad in helmets.

Underneath his helmet, the man who fired the blast, sweat-dropped. _"What fearsome eyes. The rumors are true. He appears to be no older then a boy in high school but...his power is real. And that speed, I didn't even see him come."_

"Who are you? No...Better yet. Why did you hurt all those innocent people?" Saiyaman demanded angrily. Videl couldn't believe this was the same Saiyaman, she's never seen him this angry or angry for that matter.

"That was an invitation for you, Saiyaman," The man said bowing with his right arm at his waist, like a butler. "We are the Black Fang Gang. We heard about you and we wanted to test ourselves against you before making this town ours."

Gohan couldn't see it but he could feel the taunting smirk underneath the helmet. Gohan slowly began raising his energy. White energy rolled off him like smoke. Videl could feel how intense the aura between the two was and backed up to get out of the way. All five men in helmets readied themselves for combat. "Don't worry Miss Videl. While we play with Saiyaman, you can play with these guys."

Videl glared at the men staring towards her. Taking on all ten would be tough. "Can you handle it?" she heard Saiyaman ask her with slight concern. She just smiled and slammed her left fist into her right palm. "Of course. Don't look down on me."

Gohan sweat-dropped. _"Sometimes she sounds like Vegeta."_ The Black Fang Gang took advantage of this lack of focus and launched their attack on Saiyaman.

Videl jumped out of the way as two of the men flanked Saiyaman and began a barrage of attacks on both sides. Gohan defended himself perfectly, blocking or dodging all of their attacks. As soon as he found an opening he delivered a punch, kick combo; sending the two assailants flying away. But the moment those two were off the other three attacked.

Gohan had to admit these guys had some good moves. But their power level was low. Though they were obviously using that Ki Manipulating Technology. Videl was impressed about Saiyaman's skill to ward off multiple opponents at once, but her thoughts were quickly drawn to the group of mercenaries surrounding her. _"Guess I should focus on my own fight."_

As Gohan dealt with the three men, he could sense the other two powering up. _"Man their energy is spiking dangerously."_ Deciding to get some space to assess the situation, he flew into the air. Looking down on the five men he could see them staring back up at him.

"Heh, you can't get away from us like that," announced the man Gohan guessed to be the leader. While he and the other two who were attacking began powering up, the last two surprised Gohan by slowly hovering into the air.

"Y-You can fly!" Saiyaman exclaimed in shock.

The two men just chuckled before launching another attack. This time their attacks were much faster. One of them managed to land a punch to his right side, causing him to wince and leaving his left open. The other man took the opportunity to land a harsh kick to his left side. Both reared back a fist and punched at Saiyaman simultaneously. He barely managed to bring his arms up in a cross block, but the force of their combined attack still knocked him back a few feet.

Gohan uncrossed his arms to look at the two. At that time the other three flew into the air and surrounded him. Gohan cautiously gauged the five men. Each one had a high power level. Nothing Gohan couldn't handle, but the problem is fighting them in the city. These guys were dangerous as long as they were in such a public place.

The Fang Gang didn't give Saiyaman much time to think about the situation. This time they all attacked at once. The first two came in with another combination of rush punches before quickly breaking away leaving an opening for their leader to kick Saiyaman in the gut sending him back a few feet. The other two came in from behind. One sending a kick to his head and the other, a punch to the kidneys. But Gohan recovered from the kick and quickly spun around. Using his left hand to divert the kick and his right to divert the punch while spinning, he sent a kick to each one knocking them back.

Before Gohan could even get his balance back the leader of the group attacked. His rush of punches and kicks began forcing the young hero back. Without giving him a chance to recover the first two began their attack again. Even Gohan had to admit their team work wasn't bad.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Videl's Fight]<strong>

As the fight above ensued. Videl stared down her opponents, who didn't seem to be intimidated by her at all. Looking closely she could see four of the men were unarmed. Well if you count those Ki Manipulation things, unarmed. The other men had an assortment of weapons. Two had knives, one a staff-like weapon, another had a sword, and the last two guns.

"_Just my luck, but this time I won't be beaten," _Videl thought to herself, taking a defensive stance.

"How about we see what the girl can do. You two get her," said one of the men wearing a Ki Manipulation belt.

The two men in question stepped forward ready to fight. One was a man dual wielding pistols and the other had a sword. Videl eyed the man with the guns while keeping a safe distance away from the swordsman.

"Keha! I'll drill this girly full off holes," announced the gunslinger, before taking aim and firing at the young crime fighter. Videl was quick on her feet and ran in an arch avoiding bullets as she closed in on her opponent. With quick zigzagging dashes she closed the gap between them, coming in on his right side. As Videl prepared to deliver a fist to the man's side, she found a gun barrel in her face. She quickly bent back, avoiding the bullet. But as she faced the sky she saw a blade coming down on her head. Leaning farther back she put her hands to the ground and sprung up into a handstand, kicking one of the guns from the gunslinger's hands while barely avoiding the blade.

As she watched the blade pass her face, she spun on her hands and delivered a kick to the swordsman's head. The resulting force sent him flying into his gun wielding ally. The two men collapsed into a pile of limbs. Making their way to their feet they were caught off guard when Videl used a two punch combo to knock out the swordsman and a knee to the head to immobilize the gunslinger. Standing straight she faced her remaining opponents. _"Only eight more to go."_

The man who spoke earlier smirked at the young heroine. "Well well, what a show. Looks like we need to make it a little tougher." With a glance at the remaining four and a nod of his head, they stepped forward ready to finish the girl. After all how tough can she be against four of them.

Little did they know, Videl wasn't scared at all. She wasn't going to fall behind these cheats who use technology to become stronger and she wasn't gonna lose to Saiyaman. _"I will win this. This is the perfect training to make me stronger."_

Videl dropped back into her defensive stance. The four men took their stances as well. The man with the automatic rifle took the initiative and fired at the girl. Videl began running with the bullets right on her heel. Dashing towards the two knife wielders she leaped into the air and over their heads, trying to draw the fire towards them. Unfortunately, the gunman wisely halted his fire. The two knife wielding crooks promptly turned to her swiping their blades. She jumped back avoiding the slashes.

Dashing forward she began fighting with the two, expertly avoiding the sharp blades. Not taking the time to let the two deal with this on their own, the staff user decided to sneak up on the girl. Quickly aiming for her back, he thrust his staff at her. Videl saw this coming and stepped to the left to avoid it, then deflected the staff into one of the knife wielders with her right hand.

The staff's point connected with the man's stomach, knocking him off balance. Videl took advantage of this and sent a flying round house kick to the man's head. Spinning in a full circle she landed facing the other knife wielder. He didn't wait for an invitation and attacked with a barrage of knife strikes, which quickly followed by a barrage of staff strikes.

Videl avoided the strikes but she was starting to tire out. She still had four more after this, so she needed to finish this quickly. Jumping straight up, she set a trap for the criminals. As she dropped down the staff user got beneath her and began twirling his staff. Videl turned upside down and turned with the staff. With a cross knife hand, she knocked her opponents hands away from the staff making it drop. She flipped over his head and landing behind him, turned on her right foot to bring a knee into the man's kidney.

As the man toppled over in pain, his knife wielding companion took a stab at her. She caught his wrist with her left and used his momentum against him to drive her free palm into his chin. The shock caused his head to jerk back and nearly break his neck, but the man was unconscious. The last man with the rifle aimed to fire, however Videl was faster and threw the newly confiscated knife at the gunman's hand.

Her aim was true, as the blade cut across the man's trigger hand, causing him to drop his rifle to the ground. By the time he looked up from his clutched hands, dripping with blood, he found a flying knee in his face. With that Videl stood straight taking a deep breath before dusting off her hands and glaring at her next opponents.

"So, do you want to give up now or end up like your buddies?" she said with a confident grin.

The man from before grinned back. "Ha ha ha, the Champ's daughter sure has spunk. Alright boys its our turn," he announced, cracking his knuckles.

However, another man stepped forward. He also wore a Ki Manipulation Belt. "No. Just me is enough," the man declared in an arrogant fashion.

The first other man looked at him rather skeptically, but shrugged it off. "If you wanna give it a shot be our guest."

Videl could tell that not all of these mercenaries were use to working together. Other then the guys with the helmets they didn't really seem to have any rank of authority. This would help though. If she didn't have to fight all four at once then she might just be able to pull it off.

Her new opponent approached without caution. Several feet away from her, he stopped. Bending his knees and arms, he began powering up. The ground shook slightly and the white smoke like aura appeared around him. Videl watched, slightly shaken, thinking, _"Here's where the real test starts."_

In a burst of speed, the man dashed in on Videl. His punch came in so fast, she could barely avoid it. But a second later a powerful side kick came barreling at her mid-section. Videl managed to kick off the ground and curl her legs into her chest, her opponents attack slipping right beneath her feet. Grabbing hold of his extended leg, she used it as a balance beam to thrust out both her legs in a drop kick. Her feet connected, but he managed to block some of the damage with his right arm. He stumbled back a few feet as Videl landed on her feet and got back into her fighting stance.

"That was good girly," he admitted, before dashing at her again, "But it's not enough."

His attacks quickly resumed, but Videl managed to stay ahead of him. She could tell these men were mediocre at martial arts. With her skill she could still avoid his attacks and use openings to attack. The problem was she couldn't cause enough damage. The fight was dragging out and Videl knew she had to find a way to finish this quickly.

Luckily, unknown to Videl, the man's last power up began to wear off. As she dodged his last punch, she ducked and used a right low kick to swipe the feet from under her opponent. As he fell she spun into a standing position and drove her right knee into the man's back. As she released him from her knee she brought her left elbow down on the man's chest as they both fell, causing additional damage as he hit the ground.

Videl rolled away from her opponent, wary if he would stand up. Seeing he was unconscious she relaxed. Taking another deep breath she faced her remaining three opponents. Seeing how the last fight went, Videl wasn't looking forward to this. If they had all attacked at once she would have been finished, but they decided to play around with her. It's very doubtful they would risk it now though.

"Well it's our turn now," said the man as he and his two companions approached slowly. Videl was short of breath and her body was aching. There was no way she could keep this up.

"_Not good. Maybe I could use Saiyaman's help," _Videl thought, stepping back as they approached. Suddenly, without warning, something came crashing down from above and landing on top of one of the men. Videl's eyes bugged out in shock. The man giving orders and the man to his right had similar expressions.

As the smoke cleared, they could make out a heap composed of two body's. Both men looked unconscious, one of which was a helmet wearing member. Videl's eyes quickly found their way to the sky.

Up above, the four helmet wearing Fang members were looking towards the ground. Frozen from what could be assumed as shock. Saiyaman, on the other hand, was standing straight.

"It's time to end this," came Saiyaman's voice which drew in everyone's attention. "I've played around long enough!" Suddenly he crossed his arms in front of his face before bringing them to his sides and flexing with a grunt. A sudden burst off white light and wind caught everyone off guard. Even the Fang Gang were being pushed away by the force. The white aura settled around Saiyaman as his hair waved in the wind he was creating.

Videl marveled at the Superhero in front of her. His raw power was amazing, but something about his energy and the way he carried himself was...captivating. Her two opponents were no better off. They had forgotten their fight and were frozen in place by his power. The four helmet wearing fighters were frozen in shock as well. Their scouters still haven't finished their reading on him, but the number's didn't seem to slow down.

The Fang Leader took a defensive stance as he began chuckling. "This is a bit more then we expected. The Doc is gonna have some work to do."

This caught Gohan's attention. "Doc? Is that who you're getting this technology from?"

"Your sharp boy, but by the time you figure it all out you'll be finished," came the leader's reply. _"Having said that, we still need a way out of here for now. Our test is complete. Now...Ah I know."_

"We'll see about that." Gohan prepared to rush the leader, but was interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that," said the leader in a teasing tone.

Gohan eyed the man suspiciously. "Oh? Why not?"

"Because if you come after us..." he began saying while raising both hands above his head and charging up a Ki blast. Gohan took a defensive stance ready to take the attack. "Whose going to save those innocent people?" With that said he launched a large Ki blast towards Videl, with the Police and bystanders standing behind her.

Caught off guard, Gohan quickly dropped his defense and took off to intercept the blast. As soon as Saiyaman took off, the Fang Leader turned to his remaining men saying, "Grab those three and let's get out of here!"

Videl watched in horror as the large ball of Ki approached her. She was aware of the people behind her, but there was nothing she could do. Her legs wouldn't even let her run. Suddenly Saiyaman appeared before the ball of light. He brought his arms to the front, palms open, catching the sphere in his hands. The force pushed him back slightly, but he quickly managed to stop it.

With a glance he could see the Fang Gang had already slipped away and their Ki was no where to be found. With a grunt of annoyance at his naive actions, Gohan kicked the Ki blast into the air. Everyone watched as it safely exploded in the skies above the city.

Videl lowered her view to Saiyaman. She could tell he was around her age, but...he was so much stronger. She wanted to be that strong.

The police quickly apprehended the criminals left behind. Saiyaman lowered himself so he could make sure Videl was doing alright.

"Are you hurt anywhere Miss Videl?" Saiyaman questioned in his hero voice.

Videl was still a bit stunned with all that happened, but recovered fast. "Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for your help." Then with slight annoyance added, "And stop calling me Miss."

"Well that's good." Gohan replied with a sigh.

"Hurry and send the relief units out to help anyone caught in this destruction," the chief's gruffly voice broke in.

"Looks like they got things under control," Gohan commented.

Videl watched as the police worked before turning her attention back to Saiyaman. "Yeah. That means I can go home and take a bath."

"Ha ha sounds relaxing."

The two laughed at their first normal conversation since they met and fought together. Videl looked Saiyaman in the eyes. She could see the kindness they displayed. A familiar kindness. But before she could think about it, their little staring contest was cut short by a shout...or more like a squeal.

"Videl!"

Videl's face dropped. "Was that..? It couldn't be."

"Videl! Tell these guys to let me through," came the voice again. A familiar voice even Gohan recognized, as Erasa's.

Both Videl and Gohan looked towards the police blockade, with humorous surprise all over their face. Gohan remembering he was in his alter-ego outfit, quickly straightened up. _"What is she doing here," _he thought beginning to sweat bullets.

Videl had similar thoughts. But seeing her friend is already here and the troubles over with, it couldn't hurt...could it. "It's alright guys, she's my friend. You can let her through."

The police men on crowd control quickly complied with the young crime fighter. Erasa quickly made her way to her best friend, worry written all over her face.

"I'm glad I found you Videl it's terrible. We were on a date, then the building fell apart, Gohan went to check, and..." Erasa started saying at a mile a minute. Gohan sweat-dropped, he never heard her talk so fast.

Videl just lifted a brow and raised her hand cutting the frantic girl off. "So let me get this straight. Your date with Gohan was interrupted cause a nearby building started collapsing, Gohan went to check things out, and I'm guessing you haven't found him yet."

Erasa frantically nodded her head, "Mm, mm, that's it." Gohan nearly lost control and fell from his spot in the air. He was completely dumbfounded by a girls skill with talking. Even with his saiyan hearing, he couldn't make sense of that fast speech.

Videl sighed loudly before turning to Saiyaman. For a moment Gohan could see her eying him suspiciously. "Well Saiyaman, looks like I can't rest yet. I gotta go _find_ a friend," she said, trying to see if Saiyaman would slip on anything.

Gohan knew he had to be extra cautious with both Erasa and Videl around, so he kept his cool. He smiled in his hero fashion and said, "Well I should be going too."

Suddenly a loud gasp caught their attention. Both looked at the source of the gasp to find Erasa holding both her hands in front of her mouth. Gohan began sweating horribly thinking Erasa recognized him, but Videl could almost see the gears in Erasa's head back tracking. She knew her best friend had just registered the fact that Saiyaman was hovering but a foot away.

"Y-you...You're Saiyaman!" she suddenly shouted pointing her finger at him, as if accusing him.

Gohan could feel the life drain out of him as he sighed. She just noticed he was here. He thought he was gonna have a heart attack, because she recognized him. Regaining his composure he smiled and said, "Yes that's me. It's nice to meet a friend of Miss Videl's."

"Oh my god! It's really nice to meet you," Erasa gushed.

"Oh brother," Videl commented on her overly excited friend. Then turning to Saiyaman she glared at him, saying, "Didn't I tell you to drop the Miss?"

Saiyaman chuckled awkwardly. He just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. "Aw come on Videl, don't be like that. After all he's your guardian angel right~?" Erasa cooed, smiling suggestively at the two in question.

Videl's face instantly went red and she regretted ever telling her about that. "Erasa! What are you talking about!"

Gohan's face was also red but not as bad as Videl's. He was a bit embarrassed about being called a guardian angel, but he was flattered. He was too naive to get what Erasa was implying. "Well it was nice meeting you and all, but I should get going."

"Yeah, it was great meeting you...Ah! Videl we have to go find Gohan!" Erasa said remembering about her initial reason for being there.

Gohan sweat-dropped and Videl dropped her head into her palm with a sigh. "You get too excited for your own good," Videl said to her best friend. Turning to Saiyaman she continued by saying, "Guess I'll see you later?"

"Sure, see you," Gohan replied before taking off and heading out of the city, away from the downtown district.

Videl and Erasa watched him fly off. Erasa marveled at his speed. "Wow," managed to slip from her lips.

Videl who was still amazed by Saiyaman, especially after what she saw today, didn't want to look interested in the Superhero. If Erasa knew she had even the slightest feeling for the guy, her best friend would do everything in her power to get them together. "It's not that great. After you see it a few times, it just feels like he's showing off."

Erasa smiled mischievously, "Come on Videl, you know you like him. Don't try to deny it."

This made Videl's cheeks go red again, but she kept herself together, "Geez, just forget about that and let's go find your boyfriend."

Now it was Erasa's turn to blush. Girls at school have been saying things like that, but when her best friend says it...it really gives her a warm feeling. "Yeah let's go, but you know it's nothing official yet." _"I wonder what Gohan thinks about me being his girlfriend."_

"Whatever let's just find him, so I can go home." _"Wherever he is, he'd better have a good excuse."_

The two girls made their way back to where Erasa and Gohan got separated. Videl suggested looking for him there first. When they arrived on the scene they could see bystanders watching as the relief team cleaned the debris and looked for anyone caught in the destruction. Unfortunately, Gohan was no where in sight.

"Where could he be," Erasa said growing frantic again.

"Calm down Erasa, we'll find him, " Videl reassured her. As she continued looking around she caught sight of something going on not too far from them. "Hey, let's see what's going on over there."

Erasa nodded and followed her friend to the scene of what looked like a woman trying to get passed the relief team blockading the wreckage.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Gohan]<strong>

After flying out of view, Gohan quickly circled around and found a safe place to land near the block of rubble. Now all he had to do was make it back to where he left Erasa. Although he still needed a good excuse for disappearing for so long . Knowing Videl, he might still get scolded for leaving her like that. Plus she'll probably have a reason to pin him to Saiyaman.

As Gohan jogged back, he sighed. All the fighting in the world couldn't make him flinch, but a couple of high school girls have him scared. _"Man I need to find a better way to do this."_

Gohan's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a voice picked up by his saiyan hearing. It was faint, but it sounded like...crying! Gohan came to a stop and looked around. Allowing his senses to widen, he managed to pick up a very small Ki. Probably that of a child's. Making his way to the source of the Ki, he found a collapsed building. And from the cracks came a small crying voice.

"M-Mama~" came the crying voice of a young girl.

"Hey, are you okay down there?" Gohan called back.

The crying stopped for a moment. "P-Please help me Mister."

"Don't worry I'll get you out, but first tell me if your hurt," Gohan replied, trying to assess the situation.

"I scratched my knee, but I'm okay."

Gohan sighed in relief, if she wasn't hurt then this will be easier. Now how to get her out. "Tell me do you see any light from in there?"

There wasn't much light since the streets had been destroyed but there was a little light in the area, with any luck she could see it. "Um there's a little bit of light, but I can't climb through the crack."

"Hmm," Gohan thought about possible solutions, but unless he used his powers this would take too long. "Do you mind keeping a secret for me?"

"What? A secret? Okay please just help me, Mister" came her reply, with a bit of a sniffle.

"_Well that will have to do."_ Without a second thought, Gohan grabbed hold of the large slab of concrete and with grunt lifted it over his head. Looking down he could see the small girl in a small clearing of the rubble. This girl was lucky if nothing else. "Come on out of there."

The small girl marveled at the teen lifting part of the building. When she registered what he had said, she quickly made her way to his side. When she was safe, Gohan threw the concrete slab to the ground with a small crash. Looking down at the girl he noticed her looking up at him, eyes sparkling.

"Wow your strong Mister," she said in admiration.

Gohan chuckled and scratched the back of his head in the Son manner. "Yeah, but that's what I need you to keep secret. Okay?"

The girl smiled and with a nod of her head, said "I'll keep your secret, promise."

"Great. Now let's get you back to your family." With that Gohan gave the little girl a piggyback ride to find her parents...and Erasa.

* * *

><p><strong>[Back With The Girls]<strong>

The scene they came upon, was a woman screaming about her baby girl. The relief team wasn't letting her pass, because the area was still unstable and the buildings could collapse. Videl really couldn't say anything. She didn't know how it feels to lose a child in a disaster like this, but she could understand why it was dangerous to let someone into the area of rubble.

That thought brought her back to Gohan. If he went into that area and something happened. She couldn't even think about it, not to mention how upset Erasa would be. It was an unexpected voice that cut short the woman's screams and Videl's thoughts.

"Mama!"

Everyone standing near the blockade turned their attention to a small gap in the rubble. There a figure emerged. One Videl and Erasa recognized as Gohan. And on his back was a little girl.

"Gohan!/Suzy!" Videl, Erasa, and the woman shouted simultaneously.

Gohan looked at the three with a smile, before looking back at little Suzy. "Well looks like we found your mother."

Suzy looked down at Gohan with a bright smile. "Yeah."

Finally Gohan's long night could come to an end. After reuniting Suzy with her mother, he quickly apologized to Erasa for leaving her. Though both girls seemed satisfied with his excuse of seeing if anyone needed help after the destruction and seeing how he helped the little girl, they couldn't really be mad. Although he heard an earful from from Videl about putting himself in dangerous situations.

Once again Gohan, promised he would take Erasa out to make up for tonight. Which she was delighted about. Videl and Erasa headed home together, leaving Gohan to himself.

After finding a safe place to take off, Gohan headed home. Tonight was full of excitement, that he wouldn't mind doing without. Gohan sighed as he flew, _"Why do my dates always end with some kind of trouble. And now this Black Fang Gang. They could be big trouble. I need to find this Doctor that man was talking about and put a stop to this technology."_

Looks like things are starting to get a bit more complicated for the young hero. How will he deal with high school, dating, a feisty crime fighter, and these new criminals.

**A/N: sorry for the long wait on the update. Been working, which involves going outta state and after working all day I don't have motivation for writing in a hotel room. Anyway, ima try to pick up the pace of my chapters a bit. Especially since this arc is about to pick up big time. Here's a longer chapter, I was even surprised how much longer it is then my other ones . Well read and review.**


	13. Fall of a Hero

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 12: Fall of a Hero**_

It was Monday morning, as Gohan flew to Satan City. On his way to school, he thought over his weekend. His Friday night was interrupted by the Black Fang Gang, who announced their presence by challenging Saiyaman. Videl's suspicions about him were probably growing. But he did manage to take Erasa on a successful date without any kind of interruption on Saturday.

The problem now was dealing with the Fang Gang's next move. And figuring out a sure way to get out of school, would help too. The hardest thing he needs to do is find this Doc the Fang Leader mentioned. Gohan sighed, "How come my first year in high school had to get so messed up?"

Little did Gohan know, things were just starting to get worse. The week went by and it spelled nothing but trouble for the city's heroes. Two attacks in one school week had Gohan and Videl running out on school to deal with the Black Fang Gang. The Weekend wasn't much better. Another date was interrupted for Gohan and Erasa. This time Gohan took her home before heading for the scene. Videl got a bit banged up because of the late arrival, but she assured him it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Gohan was having a hard time explaining his constant disappearances. Luckily for him, everyone just took it as a bad habit. Seeing he has had a perfect score since he arrived, the teachers didn't seem to mind his absences too much. The students assumed the young genius was simply getting bored of the simple curriculum and decided to skip. The ones who were really suspicious of him were Videl and Erasa.

The more time he spends around Erasa, the more she seems to notice his sudden needs to disappear. She hasn't said anything, but he was sure she has noticed by now. And Videl has just been as suspicious as when he first arrived at school. He almost had her drop him as a suspect to Saiyaman's identity, but him disappearing more frequently while crime in the city just so happens to pick up; isn't really helping his case. At least she had no solid evidence.

His mother was another matter. She didn't like his constant absences in class and after a brutal frying pan bashing, he was able to console her with the fact he still had perfect scores. However, that did not get him off easily. She told him to solve this crime problem soon and for every week she gets a call about his absence, he would receive "Proper Punishment". Which she said while holding her frying pan of doom.

He would have to be careful this week. If only he could catch one of those helmet guys. The other crooks they hire seem to have no knowledge of who or where the Fang Leader gets the technology. He would just have to wait and find a clue of some sort. For now school and his new girlfriend is the only thing he needs to focus on. He and Erasa talked about it and Gohan thought it would be nice. He's had a lot of fun spending time with her. But he still hasn't told his mother, for obvious reasons.

* * *

><p><strong>[Elsewhere]<strong>

In the depths of a dark, gloomy laboratory, wires and gears ran along the walls. The machines within were humming and sparking dangerously as different colored liquids bubbled within their containers. A large computer sat in the rear area, where two men were currently talking. The screen on the computer was on and a shadowed figure was listening to the conversation.

"Your machines still need work. They don't have the power to dispose of Saiyaman," said the Fang Leader.

The old man he was talking to was much shorter then him. He wore a white lab-coat and was bald except the hair on his sides came out in points, at least a foot long. He ran his fingers over his short gray goatee as he pondered something.

"Tch, did you here me old man?"

"Calm down... Young ones these days have no patience." the old doctor finally replied. "I've already done my calculations and I decided to come up with a plan for you."

This made the man on the screen speak up. "Oh? You've decided to come up with a plan? I thought you were only going to focus on your research?"

The old man turned to a tarp behind him, covering what looked like bulky machines. "And how am I suppose to do that, with your men coming back after every time they break their new toys?" Turning to the Fang Leader, he continued, "You say my technology is the problem. I say you haven't been utilizing them properly."

"Really? Then what did you have in mind?" questioned the leader sceptically.

"Kic kic kic, I've come up with the perfect plan and simple enough for any goon to pull it off."

"Watch who your calling a goon." he threatened back.

"Right, right. My apologies. But just be sure to get this right. I don't want anymore work time taken out of my master piece."

"Whatever."

"Good. Then I leave the Good Doctor's plan to you, Able," said the man on the screen.

"Understood, Commander," Able replied with a bow. _"This time I'll put an end to Saiyaman"_

* * *

><p><strong>[A Few Days Later]<strong>

It was Thursday at Orange Star High. Today wasn't really the greatest day for Gohan after yesterdays all day hounding from Videl, then a date with Erasa, and a scolding from his mother for forgetting to call to let her know he was going to be late. On top of that he had to finish quite a bit of homework and he couldn't sleep very well. He just hoped today would go without an attack by the Fang Gang.

Unfortunately elsewhere in town, things were beginning to stir.

The day seemed to drag by forever, for Gohan. Luckily, Erasa made it easy on him. She didn't hang on his arm and she would converse with Videl and her girl friends more. Videl also noticed his tiredness and decided to lay off. After all he couldn't answer very well if his brain isn't functioning.

As they got out of their last class Gohan, Erasa, Videl, and Sharpner dropped off their books. They walked together as they walked out of the main school building.

"So what's everyone gonna do now that school is out?" asked the ever talking Erasa.

"I need some sleep," Gohan admitted, walking rather sluggishly.

"Aw, poor Gohan. You should go home and rest, okay?" Erasa said soothingly, holding Gohan's hands in her own. Their two friends stopped walking when they did.

Gohan smiled sheepishly, "Thanks. I'll head home first then."

"Okay. Bye cutie," she said while kissing his cheek. This caused Gohan to blush a bit.

"Yeah, see you guys later," he said waving to everyone as he turned to leave.

"See ya," was Sharpner's reply. Videl just gave a short wave. Something still bugged her when those two were together. Although, she would never admit she might be slightly jealous.

Erasa turned back to her long-time friends with a bright smile. "So what's your plan V? Sharpner?"

"I'm heading to my Boxing Team Meeting," Sharpner said. "I should probably go before I'm late."

"See ya Sharpie, work hard," Erasa cheerfully retorted.

"What do you mean? I always do."

Videl snorted at this. "You never seem to work hard at school."

This made Erasa laugh and Sharpner turned red in the face from embarrassment. "Well that's different."

"Yeah, yeah. Just go Sharpie, before you're late," Videl said with a grin that said I won, don't try to fight it.

Sharpner just hung his head and left to his own business. He rather leave quietly then risk putting another foot in his mouth.

"So what about you?" Erasa questioned her best friend.

"I need to go do some training," she responded not really caring about the conversation. She's had too much on her plate lately.

Erasa pouted at this. "And I was hoping you would come shopping with me," she said with a whine.

"Do you really need to go shopping again," Videl asked skeptically. How much could one girl shop.

"Actually my mom wanted me to pick up groceries. I thought you might wanna come along."

Videl eyed her blonde gossiping friend with suspicion. Then it clicked. "You just wanna talk about Gohan, don't you?" She crossed her arms and looked away with a humph before continuing, "Well, no thanks. I've got better things to do then listen to you go on about your boyfriend."

"Aw, you're no fun," Erasa said with a pout, but quickly recovered. "Oh well, guess I'll go shopping by myself. I'll see you tomorrow, V."

Videl watched her walk off with a wave. "Yeah, see ya." She turned and began heading home. _"I still need to become much stronger. No time to waste."_

Erasa took a moment to look back to where her friend was walking. A sudden sensation overtaking her. _"Why did I get such a bad feeling," _she pondered for a moment. _"Neh. This is Videl. She can handle anything."_

Little did Erasa know, she was very right to worry. Videl was making her way home when she passed by an alleyway. One which she thought was empty, until she heard a voice.

"Help me. Somebody please help," came a muffled crying voice from the alley. It sounded like a woman. Videl could see the alley way was long and dark, but she couldn't see anyone. _"Maybe farther down."_

Videl quickly switched to crime fighter mode. Dropping her bag on the sidewalk she ran into the alleyway. As she made her way down she found a turn and looking down it she could see two figures who looked to be struggling.

"Stop what you're doing!" Videl shouted, catching their attention. "Leave that woman alone."

She saw one of the figures stand tall. From what she could see in the dark alleyway, he was quite bulky. "You here that," came the man's gruff voice, a voice that sounded all too familiar to her by now.

"Yeah I heard," came another man's voice. The first man turned around for Videl to get a better view of his face, as she thought he was the same crook working for the Black Fang Gang. By now she's had several confrontations with him, but hasn't been able to bring him to justice.

The second person on the ground began to stand up. His build was certainly not that of a woman's. "I wonder why she would think I was a woman?" the man said again. "Oh wait...maybe it's because of this."

The man brought his hand near his head and pressed a button on a small recording device. When it played Videl's eyes widened in shock. "Help me. Somebody Please help," came the muffled crying voice of what sounded like a woman. When it stopped playing the man spoke again, "Technology these days can do anything."

Videl took a step back terror starting to set in. The two men began approaching with sinister grins in place. "W-what...what's going on?"

Suddenly she felt her back hit something. But it couldn't have been the wall. Slowly peaking over her shoulder, she met with a chest covered in a leather suit. Before she could look up, a blow to the back of the head knocked her to the ground, unconscious.

"With this our plan will be set into motion," said the Fang Leader. "Come, Saiyaman. Tomorrow will be your final day."

* * *

><p><strong>[The Next Day]<strong>

Gohan felt much more himself the next day. Although he still felt a bit sluggish. Whether it is because of over-sleeping or the strange dreams he's had, he wasn't sure. However, he could feel today was gonna be much better then yesterday. Or so he thought, unaware of what was waiting for him in Satan City.

The day at school went by unexpectedly fast. To Gohan's surprise Videl was absent. But everyone went by as normal so Gohan didn't think much of it. Yet Erasa seemed down. She wasn't speaking as much and only would when someone initiated the conversation with her. It was the end of the day when Gohan couldn't take it anymore. Erasa wasn't hanging on him like usual and even though he isn't very comfortable with it, that's the Erasa he knows.

As they left the school Gohan turned to Erasa making her stop walking. Sharpner stopped as well, curious. He noticed Erasa's strange mood and figured Gohan would ask what's up.

"Erasa, you've been acting strangely today. Are you okay?" Gohan asked sincerely worried.

What little will she had not to look into his eyes was quickly over come. When she saw his piercing worried eyes, she instantly broke down.

"I just can't keep quiet anymore," Erasa said, grabbing hold of Gohan and lightly sobbing into his chest. "I'm worried about Videl."

"Videl?" Sharpner questioned.

"I got a call from her father last night, asking if she was over at my house. It was like midnight and he really didn't tell me much. Just not to worry and to keep quiet about this," she said starting to sob again.

Gohan thought this information through for a minute. "The last time we saw her was after school, but when she didn't come to school today you got worried," he wisely summarized.

'sniff' "Yeah...what do you think could have happened."

Thinking about it Gohan could only come up with a few ideas, none he would wanna share with his already worried girlfriend. "We should just head home. I'm sure Hercule has everything under control. And if not, I'm sure Saiyaman will do something, right?"

This seemed to cheer her up. She looked up at Gohan with a light smile. "Yeah you're right. Could you walk me home?"

"Of course," he replied with a beaming grin, making Erasa smile a bit more. _"Gohan's right. Saiyaman will save Videl. He's her guardian angel, after all," _Erasa thought.

"Well I was just gonna head home. I can drive you, so Gohan can get home before too late," Sharpner interjected.

"Oh..." Erasa began pouting. She wanted her boyfriend to take her home. But it would make it easier on everyone. "Fine, guess I'll just go home with Sharpie. Wouldn't want you making your mom angry for being home late."

Gohan laughed a bit nervously. She had still had no idea how mad she could really be. "Yeah, guess that makes things easier."

After a kiss on the cheek from Erasa and saying bye to Sharpner, Gohan watched the two drive off while waving. Now he could focus on locating Videl. He made his way into a nearby alleyway while extending his senses to focus on the city.

"_Strange. Usually sensing Videl is no problem. Could somebody have..? No! She's alive I just know she is,"_ Gohan thought. He quickly made sure no one was around and changed into his Saiyaman outfit. "I should see if the police have any clues, I'm sure they'll be looking for her."

With that Gohan flew into the sky, looking for the nearest policeman for information. As he flew through the sky, he noticed all the police cars out and about. Most likely searching for the young crime fighter. A call from afar is what caught his attention next.

"Saiyaman!" he heard another shout. Looking towards the ground he could see two police officers waving their arms, trying to get his attention. _"Finally I can get some information," _Gohan thought as he descended, to meet the two.

Elsewhere in the city the Black Fang Gang kept a constant vigil for the superhero teen. "Has anyone found him yet?" questioned the Fang Leader.

"Nothing here,"

"Same here,"

One of the helmet wearing Fang members was scanning his area, when he spotted his prey. "Actually, I found him," said the man with tiger stripes on his helmet.

The Fang Leader smiled within his helmet. "Good. Then just as we've planned. Plan: Fallen Hero is underway. Prepare to engage."

"Yes sir!" was the simultaneous reply from the other four.

Gohan spoke with the police who still had no clue about Videl's disappearance. All they knew is a civilian turned in her bag, which was said to be lying near an alleyway. From what he knew he could infer that she was kidnapped by someone. And if he had to guess. "Black Fang Gang!" Gohan announced with a bit of malice.

"You called," came a voice from above. Saiyaman along with both police officers, quickly raised their heads to the sky. "You wouldn't happen to be looking for someone? Perhaps we could help?"

Gohan rose up to his level and glared the man down. The Fang member was sweating underneath his helmet. "Are you telling me you know where Miss Videl is?"

The man composed himself. "Yes, and if you want to find her, you'll follow me."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the man. For now he'd have to play along. "Fine. Lead the way."

With that the two were off, flying through the skies. The two police officers quickly sent in their report while trying to follow them. Gohan knew he had to focus on Videl's safety before all else, but he was already planning a strategy to capture one of the helmet wearing fighters. He quickly realized they were headed for the warehouse district. _"What could they be planning?"_

* * *

><p><strong>[Elsewhere] <strong>

In the confines of a large warehouse, Videl was being held captive. She was finally beginning to regain consciousness. From what she could tell it must have been the next day. She remembered getting captured yesterday, but when she woke up the first time they used some kind of sleeping gas to knock her back out. She still hasn't gotten any answers from her captors...the Black Fang Gang.

As she awoke, she could hear voices nearby. Opening her eyes slowly to focus on her surroundings, she could make out two men standing near a large console filled with monitors. The rest of the room was dingy with random barrels, ropes, and other tools sitting around.

"Ha ha, he's falling right into our trap." One of the men said. She knew this man. The same one that lured her in and gave her trouble up till now. But this time he wasn't wearing that _Ki_ belt.

"No kidding. Soon he'll be the least of our problems." The other added.

Videl listened to the two men, trying to figure out what they were talking about. Looking at the monitors they were viewing she could only make out some goons waiting near large machines on top of various roofs. Then a blur on one of the monitors caught her attention. Moving to the next one, which viewed a scene in Satan City from the ground, for a moment she saw Saiyaman following one of the Helmet wearing Black Fang members.

Putting two and two together, Videl figured out the majority of their plan. Using her as bait their trying to lure Saiyaman in. _"But what makes them think they will get away with this."_

Just then the two happened to notice their _guest _was awake and made their way over. "Well look what we have here," the man said with amusement. "Looks like the little crime fighter is awake."

The second man snickered annoyingly before talking, "Yeah Kong. Wonder how she ever caused the criminals in this city so much trouble."

This annoyed Videl. Glaring at the man she yelled, "Untie me and I'll show you, creep!" The man jolted back in surprise and almost lost his balance, causing Videl to reveal a smug grin. "Now let me go. Unless you want Saiyaman to find you and make this harder on yourselves?"

The Kong smiled at this. "Looks like you can't do anything without Saiyaman," the man commented making Videl glare at him.

She didn't need Saiyaman for everything. But he continued before she could protest. "But this time we've got a sure fire way to take him out for good."

Videl didn't believe it, but she couldn't be sure. If they have a plan to defeat Saiyaman, then she would have to stop them. "Oh..?Sorry, but I don't think anything you have planned could work on him," she said tactfully, trying to get them to reveal their plan.

Yet Kong wasn't so easily fooled like most criminals. "If you wanted to know our plan, you could have asked. No reason to go the round about way."

She grit her teeth for being discovered so easily. Are criminals getting smarter or was he just a rare case. "Fine. How do you plan on taking down Saiyaman?"

"It's a genius plan...though I don't get it." said the second man that Videl had scared.

Kong just rolled his eyes at his idiot ally. "The genius part about the plan is those machines on the monitors behind me," he said pointing a thumb in the direction of the large console. "Not really sure how they work, but the scientist who created them taught us how to use them properly..." the man paused to look at the monitors. "Once they are fully calibrated and they lock on to Saiyaman's energy signature...Let's just say the sparks will fly," the man finished his explanation with a chuckle.

This wasn't very helpful for Videl. She wasn't really talented with machines. And being tied up on a chair makes it hard to stop these goons. For once Saiyaman might need her help and she couldn't do a thing. _"I'm even the bait to lure him in,"_ Videl thought with remorse. Focusing back on the monitors, she continued watching along with her two guards. Meanwhile she tried to loosen the rope around her wrists in order to escape as soon as possible.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Saiyaman]<strong>

Gohan continued to follow the Black Fang member into the warehouse district when a sudden spike in _Ki_ caught his attention. Coming to a dead stop allowed him to avoid the small energy blast that destroyed a nearby truck. Looking around he noticed the other four helmet wearing men.

"I came as you asked. Now release Miss Videl," Saiyaman demanded in his hero voice. He was beginning to tire of these criminals causing trouble.

"Sorry, but we aren't finished yet," retorted the Fang Leader.

Gohan glared at the man. "Then what happens now?"

All five men took fighting stances as a reply, before quickly rushing him. Gohan quickly noticed their fighting powers have already been raised, but strangely he couldn't sense their _Ki_. From what information he received from Bulma, he could guess what benefits the suits gave the criminals.

Along with allowing them to fire _Ki_ blasts, increase physical abilities, and fly; it boosts their internal _Ki_ levels beyond what they would normally be capable of as well as hide their _Ki_ signature. These suits were certainly dangerous, but not only for the target. Forcing so much energy into an untrained body and pushing it passed its limit could cause it to break down or even worse...kill the user.

Gohan was having a bit of trouble holding off his attackers. He was focused on finding Videl's _Ki_, but couldn't quite focus. When three of the Fang members broke off from the assault, Gohan's surprise gave them an opening for the other two to land punches.

Gohan was knocked back a bit before catching himself, but The two who struck quickly charged back in. As he fought off the two Fang members, he noticed the other two charging up their power even more. This was getting dangerous for them. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the Fang Leader. He appeared to be just floating there with a hand to his head. Gohan quickly realized he was probably communicating with someone. _"Are they trying to hurt Videl,"_ Gohan thought.

The two men finished powering up and combined their attack with their comrades. The Fang Leader was communicating with his teams set up around the area. "What's the status on your end?" he questioned.

"It's going good. The progress is separate in speed but they should all fire around four minutes," came the voice from the other end.

"Good, then initiate the firing sequence. I don't care what you do with the Satan girl," he commanded, before charging his energy, a bright red aura surrounding him.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Videl]<strong>

Videl heard the conversation between the goon holding her hostage and the Fang Leader. She watched as the man at the console began typing away. _"I need to stop this. It's now or never."_ She finally managed to get her hands free. Using her left hand she slipped out the small razor blade she kept hidden in her right gloves wrist, just in case this ever happened.

As she listened to the two crooks, she quickly cut through the rope. The idiot that wasn't typing away watched eagerly. "So after you do this can we just finish the girl off and go upstairs to see what the machine does?" he questioned his friend.

"Sounds good to me. Hold on I'm just about finished." Just as those words left his lips he hit the 'enter' key, locking in the code. Not a second later, a shoulder planted itself in his back and crushed him into the console. Videl jumped back from the toppling body as it fell to the floor.

The stunned comrade quickly turned to his escaped hostage. "You little..." But before he could finish Videl's foot found his chin, sending him flat on his back.

"Well these guys weren't very tough," Videl commented. Looking over at the console, she realized she damaged it pretty badly. Not that she could really use it anyway. Seeing Saiyaman fight off the five men on one of the monitors, she noticed a small timer. It read 00:03:22. "Crap I only have three minutes."

She quickly made her way out of the small room and into the large area inside the warehouse, looking for stairs. _"They said one of those machines was on the roof."_ Finding the stairs she quickly made her way up. Kind of pissed she had to take these stairs all the way to the top of this large warehouse.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Saiyaman]<strong>

Gohan was defending himself fine against his enemies attacks, but they gave him no time to power up and overpower them. This was starting to get tedious. But as long as he didn't know where Videl was he really couldn't finish them either. They could be keeping her somewhere for insurance.

The Fang Leader's fist flying towards his face brought his attention back to the fight. Ducking forward, he managed to dodge the fist. But two of the others attacked by kicking at his chest, which Gohan blocked with crossed arms. The final two came from above. One attacking with a knee and the other with an elbow, both aiming for Saiyaman's back. In an instant, Gohan brought his feet back blocking an attack with each foot.

Taking the offensive before they could regain their posture, Gohan grabbed the legs of the two who kicked at him. The one on his left with his right hand and the on on his right with his left hand. Twisting counter clockwise, he rolled the fist off his shoulders while swinging the opponent on his left with him and throwing him into the opponent by his right foot, that attacked his back. Then turning fully around, he threw the one on his right into the other one who attacked his back. Now with the Fang Leader behind him, he flipped backwards bringing his left foot down on the leader's head.

The four he knocked away caught their balance in the air and watched their leader crash into the roof of a nearby warehouse. Gohan stared at his opponents. "One down and four to go," he said with a grin in place.

"Don't falter. We just have to hold him off." One of the men said trying to encourage the rest.

This made Gohan curious. "Hold me off for what exactly?"

"You'll see soon enough." And with that the four continued their attack. Gohan had to finish things quickly. They were definitely plotting something. But what?

As Gohan fought with the four Fang members, their leader stood up in the pile of rubble he was in. Shaking his head clear and dusting himself off, he looked back up to the fight above. _"The time is nearly here. Time to say goodbye to Saiyaman,"_ Able thought as he slowly rose into the air, watching his men fight.

He found a good spot in the air to look down at the fighting, then crossed his arms to watch. Videl burst onto the roof top where several men were waiting to see the fall of Saiyaman. The sudden intrusion caught their attention, but not long after their attention was returned to the machine, about the size of a van, as it hummed and started glowing. Videl watched in awe along with the Fang Gang, as a red colored light shot forth from the machine. Videl couldn't even move as only one thought crossed her mind, _"I'm too late!"_

The light shot forward turning into what looked like a red wire. As it approached the fighters, the four Fang members quickly parted from the young superhero. Gohan noticed the strange light coming their way and followed his opponents lead by jumping out of the way. However, to Gohan's surprise, the red wire that shot underneath him quickly curved its trajectory and wrapped itself around Gohan's left leg.

"What is this?" Saiyaman questioned. But before anyone could answer, he was covered in a red sparking aura causing him to scream out in pain. "Aaarrgh! W-what is...this?"

The wires attached to Saiyaman began sending a glowing light that pulsated from Gohan to the machine. And with each pulse, the speed seemed to increase. The sparking red aura continued to immobilize Saiyaman. Gohan slowly reach for the wire around his leg with his right hand when another loud noise caught his attention and before he knew it, another wire wrapped itself around his right arm. The pain he was in now was even worse and he could feel his energy being quickly drained away.

"Ha ha ha, now you have less then a minute left," Able announced just as another wire fired and wrapped itself around Gohan's other leg. "These machines were designed to drain your _Ki_. And with no _Ki_ you have no power to stop us. We'll finish you once and for all!"

The police were finally arriving below, managing to track Saiyaman after some reports of people fighting in midair came in from the warehouse district. But what they found shocked them. Videl Satan was no where to be found and Saiyaman was wrapped up in what looked like red wires of light. They were even more surprised when one more shot out of nowhere and wrapped itself around his final free arm.

"Aaaarrrghhh!" Everyone within ear shot couldn't help wincing at the sounds of agony. Gohan has probably been through worse, but when pain constantly shoots through your body it makes it hard to stay quiet.

Videl watched in shock. She's never seen Saiyaman in such a vulnerable position. Let alone screaming in pain. _"I can't just sit here staring."_ Videl promptly turned her focus on the machine on the roof. _"If I can at least smash that thing..."_ not giving it further thought she quickly rushed the men guarding it.

The men quickly noticed her approaching and prepared to defend themselves.

As for the Fang Leader, he wasn't very patient about waiting for Saiyaman's energy to drain away. "Alright guys, let's teach this boy a lesson for playing hero."

With that command he and his four men attacked Saiyaman. They all pummeled the defenseless superhero as he screamed in agony. The police below were helpless to do anything. Gohan managed to jerk his body out of the way of an attack or two, but it wasn't doing much seeing he couldn't move and he was in constant pain. If only he could free an arm or leg.

Videl managed to knock out four of the goons guarding the machine, but the last one was troublesome. He was using a _Ki_ manipulation belt and gloves. She barely avoided another small energy blast and dashed in trying to close the distance. The man aimed a punch at her head, but she avoided it by jumping up and using his head as a balance beam. She then flipped behind him and turned just in time to avoid the _Ki_ blast he threw as he turned to her.

Videl grinned when the blast connected with the machine now positioned behind her. The man she was fighting had gotten caught up in the fight and forgot about the nearby machine. As the machine caught flame and the light disappeared, the man was left stunned. Videl took this opportunity to attack her distracted opponent. Fortunately he didn't catch on until her knee connect with his chin while her elbow connected with the top of his head, simultaneously. This knocked the man unconscious.

Videl turned to watch as one of the wires disappeared.

Gohan was taking the non-stop assault when the wire around his left leg vanished. Taking his free leg he used his knee to block the knee the Fang Leader was aiming for his stomach. The collision caused a shock-wave to shoot out.

The four men distanced themselves from the two as they collided. The Fang Leader watched as Saiyaman rose his head to stare at him with a glare. The red aura still surrounded him, causing pain and paralysis, but Gohan was not one to back down so easily. Even if they used this underhanded trick.

"You're certainly powerful boy...much more then someone your age should," Able commented. Truthfully he had expected this to be over already, but seeing how the boy still held on, he had to admit it.

"You won't finish me like this," Saiyaman retorted.

"Fine," Able said, before putting distance between the two. "We'll put an end to you once and for all."

The Fang Leader began charging _Ki_ in his hands above his head. The other four followed his lead, charging up in various ways. From a distance Videl could see what they were planning. _"No!"_ Videl quickly made her way back down the warehouse. Hoping to reach them in time, even if she had no idea what to do.

As she exited the warehouse running and looking into the sky, she could make out the five figures ready to unleash energy blasts on Saiyaman. _"No. This can't be happening."_

She could only watch in horror as four of the Fang members began their attack. While two men attacked with a **Scatter Shot**, the other two fired **Energy Waves** out of each each. All the attacks connected with Saiyaman and exploded, engulfing him in flames and smoke.

Videl's running came to a crawl as she slowly stopped. Her eyes wide and unbelieving. But it was far from over. The Fang Leader was finished charging up his attack and was prepared to add it to his comrades attacks.

"Ha ha ha ha, this is the end for you, Saiyaman!" and with that he unleashed the large energy sphere by throwing it down at the young superhero.

The ball of _Ki_ connected with the previous explosion and began pushing everything down with it. As it came in contact with the nearby warehouse, it began to collapse, and in an instant it exploded. The explosion covered the entire warehouse as well as the surrounding area. For a moment everyone watched in slow motion as the expanding red globe, stopped growing, before exploding in flames.

The force of the explosion knocked many officers on their butts. Even Videl was having trouble keeping her balance as she covered her face from the dust and debris. When the shock-wave ended, smoke could be seen billowing up from the point of impact. Everyone watched in anxious silence. Everyone waiting to see what remained of the superhero.

As the smoke cleared there was nothing left but a crater filled with rubble from the warehouse.

As everyone waited for signs of life, they were only greeted by silence. The Fang Leader, looking down from above, began laughing. The obnoxious sound invaded the hearing of everyone nearby.

"Ha ha ha ha, it's over. This is the end of Satan City's Superhero. Then end of Saiyaman!" shouted the Fang Leader. Completely satisfied with their work he contacted his men through his communicator. "It's time to leave. Let the city mourn for their 'setting sun', for tomorrow will be the 'day of darkness' in Satan City."

With that the five men occupying the sky flew off. Their men making their own escape. The police made their way to the crater searching for a body. Videl couldn't get her legs to work right. She slowly trudged her way over to the crater. But losing all her strength, left her kneeling by the crater's edge.

How could he be gone? He never lost a fight. He was never even hurt. How could he lose now? Videl wasn't sure why this impacted her so much. Maybe she had gotten use to him being nearby when she fought crime. Or because he always saved her when she was in trouble. But she knew, if anything, she should have been there to help. _"The one time I get to repay him for saving me all the time and I fail. He's gone. S-saiyaman is...gone? This is all my fault!"_ With that thought completed, Videl shed a tear. The hero she knew nothing about was dead. She couldn't inform his family or friends. She couldn't even thank him for all the times he was there to rescue her. Slowly the dark clouds above began shedding their weight. Rain drops fell to the earth as if crying for the fallen hero or maybe to cover a crying girls tears.

**A/N: well here you go, another chapter. Left you guys with a cliffhanger, thought it would be fun. So things are starting to spice up. Before anyone goes off on me. No these guys aren't that strong. They wouldn't stand a chance against a full-power Gohan (non-super saiyan) but while Gohan worried about catching one of these guys and protecting Videl, he didn't even consider he could get hurt. Goes to show no matter how strong you are anyone can be caught off-guard and with tricky enough means you can bring down a titan. Gohan had his energy drained by a machine that causes pain and paralysis, it was also set to his _Ki_ specifically, so it drained away energy proportionate to his power as a non-super saiyan. So he couldn't just overpower it easily. Anyway hope you like. Read &review. Things are going to keep getting exciting now.**


	14. Satan City Chaos

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 13: Satan City Chaos**_

The sun rose on the Son House on this quiet Monday morning. The birds chirped and the leaves in the trees rustled. Everything was quiet until... "GOOHAAN!"

The loud shout of the youngest son had all the animals scampering away. Goten burst into his brother's room and jumped on top of his sleeping brother. "Gohan! Hurry and wake up, I'm hungry~"

Gohan lazily opened his eyes to look at his little brother. "Alright, I'll be right down."

That seemed to please the chibi saiyan as he ran out of the room shouting, "Yay!Breakfast!"

Gohan smiled at the miniature copy of his father before laying his head back down. The weekend had been considerably draining for him. His loss at the hands of the Black Fang Gang didn't go unnoticed. Piccolo gave him an ear full about focus and mental strength. Vegeta laughed at him, but quickly dragged him into intense training sessions all weekend. Something about about pride and saiyans, he wasn't really listening.

Then there was his mom. Surprisingly, she also yelled at him for losing the fight. He thought she would use it for an excuse to quit being a hero, but instead she told him to kick their butts and send them to jail. She's really been surprising him lately.

The worst part is all the attacks on Satan City. With Saiyaman out of the way, the Black Fang Gang has taken a backseat on crime by sending smaller gangs out to do their crime. So far there have been 6 crimes over the two days. But with those machines to drain his power, he needs to find a way to counter them.

Thanks to Bulma's connections, she managed to get her hands on the destroyed machine the police had as evidence. She's trying to make something to disarm the strange weapon. In the mean time she suggested Gohan try and find some kind of hideout that the Fang Gang uses and see if he can track down the scientist creating all this. So until she could tell him more about how this machine works, that was all he could do.

Unfortunately, he had school today. He'd have to figure out a plan after. After getting ready, eating breakfast with his mother and brother, Gohan prepared to set off to school.

"Alright bye Son. And remember to take Bulma's advice for now, I know it might be hard," his mother said. Although she was worried he might get hurt, she knows he is still going to help people. His father was the same way. So all she could do now is have faith and remind him not to lose.

"Yeah Big Brother, those baddies just cheated last time," added the ever cheerful Goten.

Gohan smiled at his family, happy to have their support. "Thanks Mom, Goten. Don't worry I'll find a way to beat those guys." And with that he flew into the sky, headed for school. _"And I'd better do it fast or Satan City will be in even more trouble."_

How long could Satan City last without the super-powered hero to fend off the Black Fang Gang. And how long can Videl last without Saiyaman watching over her.

* * *

><p><strong>[Orange Star High School]<strong>

Gohan arrived at school on time for once. He had time to make it to his locker and walk casually to his class. He never noticed he was the only one walking around with such a cheerful smile. Gohan made his way in to class with several minutes to spare. Sharpner, Videl, and Erasa were already in their seats. As Gohan took his seat, Erasa turned to him with a smile. But it wasn't her overly cheerful smile.

"Hi Cutie."

Gohan blinked at this odd behavior from his girlfriend. Seeing Videl was back, he would think she'd be happy. "Hi..." Gohan replied glancing at the other two, "Um, am I missing something? Everyone seems really down."

Everyone in the class heard what Gohan had said. "Geez Nerd-Boy, I know you live in the mountains and all, but do you ever watch the news?"

Gohan smiled awkwardly at this and scratched the back of his head, "Not really, why? Did something interesting happen?"

"Interesting!" Videl shouted standing up out of her seat. Erasa sank down in her seat, like most students, fearing Videl's wrath. "Gohan do you have any idea what's been going on in the city? Crimes have been happening more frequently then ever. People are starting to get scared coming out of their houses because no one knows when another crime will happen. And the worst part is the Black Fang Gang beat Saiyaman and now he's disappeared," Videl finished shouting her rant.

Gohan was stunned, he knew what was happening in the city, but he had no idea to what extend it was affecting the citizens. Gohan turned forward facing his desk, his hair shadowing his eyes. "You're right. I didn't know. Sorry."

Videl calmed down after that. She couldn't really hold it against Gohan. He didn't live in Satan City. "No. I'm sorry for yelling."

The atmosphere in the room became really awkward after that. No one dared say anything in fears of starting another explosion from Videl. Our hero however, didn't seem to have the same fears. He was still curious. He received a short explanation of what happened after he was knocked unconscious, but getting Videl's version of the story might be nice. "Say Videl?"

Videl sent a glare at the young teen before responding, "What?"

The teens in the class all held their breath wondering what the saiyan teen would ask next. "Well I don't really know what happened, do you mind telling me? I mean there's still a chance Saiyaman might come back."

Videl eyed Gohan suspiciously. _"Why does he care?"_ Videl thought warily. But she figured it couldn't hurt. She's been thinking about this for too long. Maybe saying what happened will help. They'll find out sooner or later when the media gets a hold off the information. Videl sighed. "Fine, but not here. At lunch time," she told him, to which he nodded in agreement. Her two blonde friends obviously listening in, wanting to hear the story too.

At lunch the four teens congregated on the roof for lunch. They sat in a circle and pulled out their lunches. Gohan's, of course, took up a lot of space and he quickly started shoveling down food. Videl simply took this as a sign to start telling the story.

She sighed, "Erasa told you about how know one could find me right?" The two blondes nodded for her to continue. "Well, I was kidnapped by the Black Fang Gang."

Erasa gasped, "Did they hurt you?"

Videl rolled her eyes. "Does it look like I got hurt?" Erasa looked her up and down before shaking her head. "Good then let me tell the story. When I woke up I found out they were trying to trap Saiyaman and using me as bait to lure him in. I don't know what the machines they were using did exactly, but somehow they really hurt Saiyaman. I tried to stop one of the machines and succeeded, but they had three more."

Gohan slowed down his eating as he listened, _"So Videl tried to help me. So she must have been the one to damage the machine that Bulma is studying."_

He continued listening to her story. "Before I could do anything more..." Videl paused. The sight she saw was still so terrible. The images of that day were still vivid. She wondered if she should even tell her friends about this. Summoning up the bravery she continued.

* * *

><p><strong>[Flashback]<strong>

The Fang Leader began charging _Ki_ in his hands above his head. The other four followed his lead, charging up in various ways. From a distance Videl could see what they were planning. _"No!"_ Videl quickly made her way back down the warehouse. Hoping to reach them in time, even if she had no idea what to do.

As she exited the warehouse running and looking into the sky, she could make out the five figures ready to unleash energy blasts on Saiyaman. _"No. This can't be happening."_

She could only watch in horror as four of the Fang members began their attack. While two men attacked with a **Scatter Shot**, the other two fired **Energy Waves** out of each each. All the attacks connected with Saiyaman and exploded, engulfing him in flames and smoke.

Videl's running came to a crawl as she slowly stopped. Her eyes wide and unbelieving. But it was far from over. The Fang Leader was finished charging up his attack and was prepared to add it to his comrades attacks.

"Ha ha ha ha, this is the end for you, Saiyaman!" and with that he unleashed the large energy sphere by throwing it down at the young superhero.

The ball of _Ki_ connected with the previous explosion and began pushing everything down with it. As it came in contact with the nearby warehouse, it began to collapse, and in an instant it exploded. The explosion covered the entire warehouse as well as the surrounding area. For a moment everyone watched in slow motion as the expanding red globe, stopped growing, before exploding in flames.

The force of the explosion knocked many officers on their butts. Even Videl was having trouble keeping her balance as she covered her face from the dust and debris. When the shock-wave ended, smoke could be seen billowing up from the point of impact. Everyone watched in anxious silence. Everyone waiting to see what remained of the superhero.

As the smoke cleared there was nothing left but a crater filled with rubble from the warehouse.

As everyone waited for signs of life, they were only greeted by silence. The Fang Leader, looking down from above, began laughing. The obnoxious sound invaded the hearing of everyone nearby.

"Ha ha ha ha, it's over. This is the end of Satan City's Superhero. Then end of Saiyaman!" shouted the Fang Leader. Completely satisfied with their work he contacted his men through his communicator. "It's time to leave. Let the city mourn for their 'setting sun', for tomorrow will be the 'day of darkness' in Satan City."

With that the five men occupying the sky flew off. Their men making their own escape. The police made their way to the crater searching for a body. Videl couldn't get her legs to work right. She slowly trudged her way over to the crater. But losing all her strength, left her kneeling by the crater's edge.

The dark clouds above consumed the sun, as rain began to fall. Videl watched as the police desperately moved the debris to find the body of Saiyaman. If there was any body left at all. That thought made Videl cringe. Suddenly a shout from one of the officers caught her attention. But it wasn't an officer searching, but one standing somewhere behind her. Turning around she saw him pointing to the sky shouting, "Look up there!"

Videl followed the man's finger, along with everyone else in the vicinity. Her eyes widened when she came upon the figure hovering above the crater. The searching officers stopped what they were doing as well.

Just then lightning struck, illuminating the figure. Videl could make out a man wearing a dark colored _Gi_, a white cape, and matching turban, but was his skin...green? _"Who is that?"_ Videl thought in her trance.

The figure suddenly descended, stopping short of touching the wreckage. The man uncrossed his arms and placed them at his sides, scanning the area with his eyes. The police officers nearby ran to a safe distance, before turning back to watch.

Yet the chief didn't stand by doing nothing. "Hey! Who are you?"

The chief didn't receive an answer, instead the green man slowly raised his arm forward. Which happened to be the direction the chief was standing. Videl assumed the worst, thinking he would blast the chief. But with a twist off his wrist, his palm now facing the sky, the ground began to rumble.

The man pointed his fingers to the sky and a portion of the debris began lifting into the air. Everyone watched in awe and confusion. Suddenly, among the rubble, Saiyaman's body came floating up. Videl could feel a sudden hope, that maybe he was alive. The body proceeded to float over to the green man as the unneeded rubble fell back to the ground. Saiyaman was tucked under the man's arm and he began lifting into the air.

Finally snapping out of her daze she got to her feet and ran in his direction. "Wait! What are you doing with him!"

The chief then decided to speak up again, "That's right. He needs medical attention."

The figure stopped rising into the air. Slowly he turned to look down at Videl. In a deep almost growling voice he said, "I'll take care of him from here." And with that said a burst of light surrounded him as he flew off at incredible speeds.

**[End Flashback]**

* * *

><p>Videl finished telling her account of what happened, as her three friends listened. Gohan had long finished his food and was thinking about the whole thing. Videl was trying to help him the whole time. It wasn't even her that was in real danger. Piccolo was right. If he had thought more calmly about the situation, then he would not have been beaten so easily.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>[Flashback]<strong>

Piccolo arrived at the Lookout with an unconscious Gohan. Dende and Mr. Popo already waiting for the two. As Piccolo landed, he dropped the half-saiyan unceremoniously. Dende and Mr. Popo quickly ran to his side.

"Mr. Piccolo, couldn't you be more gentle?" Dende said with a frown.

"Oh my," was all Mr. Popo had to say.

Piccolo crossed his arms and looked away from his Namekian brother. "It would take more than that to beat Gohan." Looking down at the young teen, he began to growl. "Are you just going to keep sleeping!" he shouted, his head almost looking like it was twice the size.

At this Gohan blinked his eyes from his spot on the ground. Getting into a sitting position, he yawned and stretched his arms over his head. Blinking again and looking around, he realized where he was. His memory of the last events quickly came back. Standing up, he began moving around frantically, ranting, "Wait. What happened? Where's the Black Fang Gang? Videl? How?"

"Slow down Gohan. You need to calm down,"

"Yes, your friend is fine," Piccolo reassured.

Hearing Videl was okay helped him calm down. Suddenly a jolt of pain ran its way through Gohan's body, causing him to collapse. "Guess those guys hit me pretty hard."

Dende approached Gohan, "Don't worry I'll fix you right up."

"Not so fast Dende," Piccolo said, stopping the namekian teen. "Gohan, do you know why you lost."

Gohan blinked, oblivious to the answer. Giving him the Son grin he replied, "Guess they had a really good plan."

A vain appeared on the side of Piccolo's head. "It's because you weren't focused. You've been slacking in your training and now that you're doing this school stuff you've been even less focused. You became distracted in your fight so easily and assumed your opponents had no way of defeating you because you were more powerful."

Gohan gulped and stared at his feet. Even Dende and Mr. Popo were keeping quiet. "Yeah, you're right. I messed up," Gohan admitted to his master.

"How many times have we faced enemies stronger then us? But a battle is always uncertain. These enemies of yours are using our greatest weakness."

Gohan looked at his teacher questioningly, "What do you mean weakness?"

"With the right technology, even our powers can be rendered helpless. Just look at what Dr. Gero accomplished. In order to win you'll have to stay focused."

Gohan nodded his head. He understood what Piccolo was saying. An arrogant warrior isn't a powerful warrior. "You're right Piccolo, thanks for the advice."

"Good now that that's settled let's fix you up," Dende announced and proceeded to heal Gohan's wounds.

When the healing was done Gohan got to his feet feeling refreshed. "Guess they did zap a good amount of my energy. And surprisingly fast too."

"Your energy dropped really fast, so Piccolo went out to see if you might need help," Dende explained.

"Hmm. Well I'll be able to handle this," Gohan said with a smile, "But I should go talk to Bulma."

"If you need any help you know where to find me," Piccolo said in his rare kind tone.

"Thanks," Gohan said bowing to his master. Turning to Dende he looked at the teen. "Man your almost as tall as me now."

"Ha ha ha yeah, soon I'll be taller then you," Dende joked back.

Gohan chuckled at this, "We'll see about that, "Well I should go if I don't wanna get home too late."

"Before you go, Gohan," Piccolo started stopping him in mid take off. "Dende says you've been having trouble with this superhero thing."

Gohan looked at him quizzically, "Other then this I haven't really had any trouble."

Dende stepped up to clear up the confusion. "I just told him about the trouble you've had sneaking out of school for your heroic exploits."

"Oh yeah, that has been a pain," Gohan replied.

Piccolo eyed him, before speaking. "You're a smart kid Gohan, but sometimes you take too much after your father. I've taught you a technique you could use, although it will lower you power."

Gohan thought about it for a moment. Then it hit him. "Ah, I know what you're talking about." Gohan chuckled at himself. "I can't believe I didn't think about it before. Thanks Piccolo."

"No problem kid. Now get going."

After their farewells, Gohan took to the skies. Making a quick stop by Korin's to pick up a few Senzu beans, he quickly flew to Bulma's house to ask for a little help with those machines and was finally allowed to leave after dealing with Vegeta.. Then he headed home dreading his mother's reaction to his latest heroic escapade.

**[End Flashback]**

* * *

><p>Gohan didn't think much of his loss at the time. They didn't really hurt him. But I suppose his absence has given criminals the courage to cause more trouble. But right now Gohan would have to let the city defend itself for a while. He needed to find the source of this technology.<p>

"Yoohoo! Gohan, you there?" Erasa said waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention.

Gohan shook the thoughts out of his head and looked around at his friends, who were looking back at him curiously.

"You done daydreaming, Nerd-Boy?" Sharpner said not really caring.

"Seriously, if you didn't wanna listen to my story, why'd you ask?" Videl added rather annoyed.

Gohan shook his hands in front of his face and shaking his head, "No, I was listening. I was just thinking."

Videl glared at Gohan. He couldn't help thinking she did that very well. With some practice she might be able to rival his mom or Vegeta. "Oh and what were you thinking about?"

Gohan put his arm behind his head in habit, "Well, since Saiyaman's friend came for him, he should be alright...right?"

Videl sighed. "Hopefully, but there's no way of knowing for sure. Not unless he shows up again," Videl said looking downcast.

Gohan frowned along with the two blondes. This wasn't just a problem for Videl, the whole city was in trouble with his absence. The rest of the day went by rather fast for Gohan. Now that he knew what kind of chaos Satan City is in, he needed to find a solution as quickly as possible.

After school Gohan focused on following criminals after crimes to see where they would go. The first two days yielded no results. But on Wednesday he managed to find a warehouse outside of Satan City limits filled with criminals. He quickly found it was just a meeting spot and none of the Black Fang members were there. After dealing with the criminals and tying them up, he made an anonymous call to the police for pick-up. Finding the main base of the Black Fang Gang was going to be harder then he thought.

Meanwhile in the city, Videl has been dealing with the multitude of crimes on her own. She could handle two out of five crimes, but by the third she was exhausted. The police knew she couldn't handle more and would usually try to handle it themselves, unless it was an extra serious situation. Videl had to admit, this was good training, if anything. But she was getting frustrated. These criminals were acting as if Satan City was their playground. Her father left a little under a week ago for some kind of business. So all she had at home were maids and butlers. She just couldn't keep doing this all by herself. She never knew how much she needed Saiyaman's help until he was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>[Capsule Corp. Residential Dome]<strong>

It was Thursday after school and Gohan had just arrived at the Brief residence. Bulma was sipping her coffee across from him at the kitchen table, while he sipped his tea. Gohan sighed, the tea calming his stressed mind.

"I seriously can't find anything on this Black Fang Gang. Their really careful covering their tracks even though they think they defeated me," Gohan said to his Godmother.

Bulma nodded, "Well I wouldn't expect less. The technology their using is pretty amazing. Not anything my father or I would want to design, but impressive none the less. Having that tracked down would be trouble for them."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the blue haired scientist. "Exactly whose side are you on?"

Bulma giggled at this, "Yours I assure you. Anyway, as I was saying, those machines they used to defeat you were designed for one specific function. That is to absorb _Ki_."

Gohan sighed and sipped his tea, "Yeah I figured that much out myself. Don't you have anything useful?"

Bulma glared at him, making him slouch in his seat, "Well if Mr. Impatient would let me finish." She closed her eyes and sipped her coffee. "Now, I was saying, it was based off of Gero's absorbing model androids. But the idea behind the absorption was enhanced. Also it is design to locate, lock on, and seek a target. It takes time, but the results...well, you saw the results."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the table. "So this machine was designed to help take down fighters like me?"

"Seeing as the base design was Gero's, I'd say they were designed to take down any of the Z Fighters."

"But couldn't we just overpower the machine? Last time I wasn't thinking straight, but..."Gohan started saying before Bulma cut him off. "That won't work."

"The machine has an interesting feature that uses your own power against you. The more you struggle or raise your power, the more it turns that energy against you causing pain and paralysis. Whoever designed this machine thought of immobilizing the target, not finishing it off."

Gohan put his hand to his chin as he thought, "That really is troublesome. Guess I need to find a way around that."

"That or you wait till I finish my electronic jamming shield," Bulma announced with a smug grin that says I've got this all under control.

"Electronic jamming shield?"

Bulma simply continued smiling and sipping her coffee. "Don't worry about it you'll see soon enough. Just don't go getting beat again before I finish."

"Well alright, I should probably head home then." Gohan said his goodbyes to Bulma and quickly headed home. He had many things to think about but for now...his stomach came first.

Gohan continued to investigate the criminals, trying to track down the enemies location. He found several more meeting places and a few safe houses, but nothing leading to direct information on the Black Fang Gang. They were covering their tracks surprisingly well for criminals. Gohan felt that some thing about this didn't add up quite right, but had no clues to go on.

It was Sunday when Gohan made it home from a late night investigation. Really it just involved attacking criminals when they were off-guard. Gohan was getting tired of this round about way. Bulma was still not finished with her device and Satan City was in chaos. Even going to school has been hard on him, seeing as some students have been staying home out of safety and those who come have frowns on their faces.

Monday rolled around and as usual Gohan headed to school. On this day he decided to be a bit late. He has been switching back and forth from being on time to being late, in order to keep up appearances.

The day went by as usual. During school Videl wouldn't receive calls from the police, but Gohan knew after school they would call her for more serious jobs. Even the criminals have been following this schedule. Erasa and Gohan have had less dates just so nothing would happen. In fact it was Erasa's idea.

After school, Gohan along with his three classmates walked out the doors of Orange Star High. Videl's watch communicator went off in the same moment. As Videl rushed off to the crime scene, Gohan, Erasa, and Sharpner watched her off.

"Poor Videl. She has to go off to fight those bad guys on her own."

Sharpner narrowed his eyes. "Yeah we should probably go home before we get caught up in some trouble."

Gohan continued to watch the direction Videl went into. "Yeah that might be smart."

Erasa looked at Gohan sadly, "Alright, but you should be careful on your way home."

Gohan turned to Erasa with a smile, "I will..." turning to Sharpner he said, "Make sure she gets home alright, okay?"

Sharpner threw his capsule containing his capsule car and after the poof it appeared. "No worries, Nerd-Boy," he said with a wave.

Gohan smiled knowing he could trust the blonde teen, after all they were friends long before he came by. "Well see you later."

Erasa gave him a hug before leaving with Sharpner. Gohan watched as they left. Once out of sight, Gohan turned his attention to sensing out Videl's _Ki_. She was currently fighting someone. He could tell the opponent w_a_s using some kind of _Ki_ manipulation tech. He couldn't take anymore of this. Even if he was at a disadvantage, he wouldn't quit. _"No more games!"_

Gohan quickly found an alleyway and transformed into his Saiyaman outfit. Quickly he flew off in Videl's direction.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Videl]<strong>

Videl arrived a the bank robbery as the criminals were fleeing and engaged them. The leader of the group stepped forward to challenge the girl. Videl could see he was wearing _Ki _manipulation tech.

"You guys should just turn yourselves in before things turn ugly," Videl taunted with a glare.

The man smiled smugly. "Sorry, no can do. If we don't deliver the goods we'll have to pay."

"So your just, the Black Fang Gang's delivery boy," Videl said returning his smug smile with her own grin.

This made the man angry. He charged in fast, but Videl was getting use to fighting these goons even if they were physically superior. She had more Martial Arts skill, which she used to gracefully avoid his punches. Turning the fight around she went on the offensive. She landed a few clean blows, but she could tell she didn't do much damage. Scarcely avoiding the crooks heavy roundhouse kick by ducking under it, she kicked out his standing leg. She jumped out of the way as he fell to the ground.

As he got up from the ground, Videl charged in. Doing a few somersaults to gain momentum, she finished with a spinning front flip and delivered a powerful kick right into the man's chest. The force of the kick sent the man flying several feet back into the crook's get-away van. The other crooks watched as their boss' body slid from the dent in the van and hit the ground unconscious.

Videl stood tall and caught her breath, before glaring at the rest of the criminals. She noted none of them were wearing _Ki _manipulation gear. This wouldn't be hard to finish off.

"You guys should just give yourselves up," Videl advised the crooks.

They stood there contemplating an all out shoot fest or running like dogs, when a voice broke into the conversation. "What a poor excuse for a boss. He couldn't even handle one little girl."

Looking around nobody could find who spoke those words. Quickly looking up Videl discovered the source. Hovering several feet above their heads was one of the helmet wearing Fang members.

"Took you long enough to find me," the man with a snake mouth surrounding his helmet vizor said.

"So finally the Black Fang Gang shows itself," Videl shouted up to him. She was tired of these guys hiding while these small time crooks commit crimes.

The man hovering above laughed, "You think we've been hiding or something? You just haven't noticed that one of us agents have been there for every crime. We just don't involve ourselves since its not necessary."

This made a vain pop up on Videl's forehead. _"So these jerks think I'm not worth the time to step in. I'll show this bastard."_ Videl glared up at the man, before shouting, "Come down here and I'll show you just what I can do."

"Sorry little girl, but I have no time for playing..." Raising his hand towards her he continued while charging an energy blast. "I'll just finish this quickly."

Videl froze, flashbacks of Saiyaman's defeat sweeping over her mind. _"No. What do I do now?"_ if he had come down to fight she might have had a chance, but now.

The man unleashed his attack, aimed directly for Videl. She still couldn't move. In her mind she knew she had to dodge, but her body simply wouldn't listen. At the last moment only one thought came to mind. _"Where are you, Saiyaman."_ Everyone watched as the sphere of light was about to crash into Videl. She closed her eyes hoping this wouldn't hurt. The sounds of an explosion that everyone expected to hear, never came though.

All the bystanders stared in awe and shock. The Fang Agent was frozen in place, as were the other criminals. Videl opened her eyes to see why everything became so silent. Her eyes widened as she saw the figure standing before her. The light from the energy blast was dispersed around him and was quickly fading away.

Tears filled the corners of her eyes, as a smile crept itself upon her lips. "Saiyaman," she said in barely a whisper, hardly believing her eyes.

Hearing his name, he turned to her with a soft, sad smile. "Sorry I'm late."

Videl lowered her head, smiling more knowing it was really him. Then in a sudden burst of anger she stepped up to him and started pounding her fists on his chest, although she wasn't putting much effort into it. "You...stupid...jerk...what...took...you...so...long" she said after every hit. Slowly she stopped hitting him, her arms dropping to her side. She looked up at him so only he could see the sad yet happy expression she was giving him "I'm glad your okay."

Gohan smiled down at the girl. She really was worried about him. He never thought she'd show him this side of her. Videl on the other hand couldn't believe herself either. She hadn't cried in years, but now she feels like crying because she's so relieved this guy is okay. A guy she knows nothing about. Only that he's always there to save her when she needs him.

"Don't worry. I won't be going anywhere," Gohan reassured. Videl wiped her eyes with her palms to get rid of the tears threatening to spill.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said the Fang Agent, interrupting their conversation.

Gohan quickly turned to the man with a glare. Last time he was caught off-guard. But they have done enough damage to the city and given Videl enough trouble. "No more Mr. Nice-Guy," was Gohan's reply to the man before he vanished from sight.

Videl was shocked, he vanished right before her eyes. _"How does he do that?"_

The Fang Agent was having a similar problem. Looking around, he couldn't find a trace of the superhero. "Over here," he suddenly heard behind him. Quickly turning he found a fist implanted in his gut. Raising both of his hands above his head, Saiyaman delivered a powerful jackhammer to the man's back. The Agent was sent flying into the ground near his criminal allies.

Landing a few feet in front of Videl, he continued to glare in the Fang Agent's direction. Videl was shocked. The overpowering display of speed and strength, had her dazed. The Fang Agent stood up out of the ground, covered in dirt. Part of his vizor was broken off, revealing a green eye staring at Saiyaman angrily.

"What the hell is this?" he shouted in rage. "You're supposed to be dead."

Gohan raised an eyebrow at the man in disbelief. "You just realized that? Well sorry, but it would take much more then that to kill me."

Videl eyed Saiyaman in disbelief. It would take more then a giant explosion to kill him. How much more? The Fang Agent was having similar thoughts, but one included, _"I gotta get the hell out of here."_

Seeing Saiyaman prepare to attack again, the Agent made his move. Aiming at a building in the distance he fired off an energy ball. Gohan quickly saw the attack and went to intercept it. Taking this chance the Agent took off in the opposite direction. Videl ran after him, but once he was in the air there wasn't much she could do. Her jetcopter was parked behind the police barricade. She would never reach it and catch up in time.

The police quickly took the opportunity to come arrest the crooks who were still stunned by the whole situation before they could make a get away. Videl turned watching as Saiyaman returned having disposed of the rouge energy attack.

"Man those cowards always use that trick to escape," Saiyaman commented to no one in particular, looking in the direction the Fang Agent left in.

Videl smiled at him. "Well at least no one got hurt."

Turning to her, he smiled back. "Yeah, that's good. And don't worry from now on I'll be here for every crime," Saiyaman reassured.

"Yeah, I'll be looking forward to working with you," Videl returned.

"Well I'll be going for now."

"Yeah see you later."

With that Saiyaman took to the skies. Doing a quick sweep of the city to see if he could find anything, before heading home. Videl left when she knew the police had everything under control. She was glad Saiyaman was back. Now she had some help with these crooks. And once they were dealt with, she would go back to finding out who Saiyaman really is. _"I still haven't given up Saiyaman."_

**A/N: another chapter for you readers. Hopefully this chapter will ease the minds of those who think Gohan shouldn't have lost last chapter. Gohan's back in action and he's getting serious now. Read and review and look forward to my next chapter. and thanks to all those who review**


	15. Mayor Red?

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 14: Mayor Red?**_

Crime in Satan City has been dropping once again, since the return of the resident superhero. The Black Fang Gang wasn't very happy with it. A few attempts at doing what they were, showed he wasn't playing games. Videl seemed to be doing better. She got more rest and was less stressed with Saiyaman around.

Gohan was feeling better as well. Staying hidden and tracking his enemies wasn't really his style. He was determined to stop the Black Fang Gang and was prepared to face their machines again. This time he wouldn't fall for their trap.

In school this week, they have been discussing politics. Since there was an election being held this week for the position of Mayor. Gohan remembered Videl mentioning something about that before, but like most teenagers, he wasn't very interested in politics. They watched the debate on television for their political studies class, a mandatory class even Gohan wasn't interested in taking. But according to the school, young minds should understand how the political world works.

The debate seemed to annoy Videl greatly. Every chance the new candidate Ryan Red had was used to bash the current police system and the towns heroes, including her. Her father was also a target of his belittling words. He continued to make promises of a new crime fighting team run by the city. Unfortunately, Mr. Red's speech and promises pulled most of Satan City's voting adults to his side. This wasn't looking good for the city's current Mayor. Videl didn't like Mr. Red at all, and if she could vote, it certainly wouldn't be for him. But she would just have to wait for the results of the election on Saturday. Friday would be the time for each candidate to make their closing speeches.

The police chief had a sneaking suspicion that the Black Fang Gang wouldn't sit quietly while these elections are happening. In order to makes things go smoothly, he asked Videl to be on guard during Friday's speeches and on Voting Day. They wanted to ask Saiyaman as well, but had no way to contact him. They would just have to hope he was nearby if anything happens.

Friday rolled around and Videl headed to her guard duty. She had told her three friends about what she would be doing after school. Gohan wasn't sure why anyone would attack the Mayor, but he decided to stick close by as well. Saying his goodbyes to Erasa and Sharpner, he transformed into his Saiyaman outfit. Before taking off into the sky.

The closing speeches were being made in the city square center. People were waiting for the event to begin, seeing who their vote should go to. Videl really didn't get politics. She just wasn't the type to put all her faith in one person. Especially when that person tries to degrade her with every other sentence he speaks. She was just hoping this would be over with soon so she could call Erasa for a girls night. She really needed to unwind.

Gohan was lazily floating a top the Nimbus cloud high above the skies of Satan City. He was positioned near Videl's location and was simply waiting for things to be over. For some reason he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that the Black Fang Gang might try to attack the Mayor candidates. But then again he grew up in the mountains and he didn't really like studying politics either.

A half an hour passed when the Chief approached Videl. "Be on guard now, Videl. The Candidates are going to be arriving any moment."

Videl nodded to the Chief, "Alright, I'll keep my eyes peeled for troublemakers."

She began making her rounds and went to the area where the current Mayor was being dropped off. On the other side of the building other police guards were waiting for the arrival of Mr. Red. The current Mayor's car was the first to arrive. Videl watched it approach and called it in, so the Chief would know. As the Mayor got out of his car, Mr. Red's car was approaching. Videl walked up to the Mayor to guide him to the stage when a sudden ball of light fell down from the sky, landing on the nearby car.

The car exploding knocked Videl, the Mayor, and the few guards standing around to the ground. Gohan heard the explosion down below. He could sense Videl near the explosion, which meant she was with one of the Mayor candidates. _"Videl can handle herself for now. I need to make sure the other candidate is safe first."_

Making his decision, he quickly flew down and located a group of police officers surrounding a car, facing two Black Fang Agents. "Hand him over and nobody gets hurt," suggested one of the Agents.

"That's funny, I was just about to suggest something similar.," Saiyaman said descending slowly to the ground. The two agents turned to him in surprise.

"Well you showed up quickly today," commented the same one from before, wearing the snake mouth helmet. "Oh well, guess our plans a bust. We should get out of here."

"I won't just let you leave," Saiyaman threatened.

"Actually you will, the Satan girl and the current Mayor must be in a bind right about now. Seeing as you're here."

Gohan's eyes widened. If two of the Agents are here, then the chances of two being there too would be high. _"Damn, no time to deal with these two."_ Turning to them he glared and took a step forward. The two agents took this as their cue to leave. Jumping into the air they quickly took off in opposite directions. "Tch, cowards. I'll deal with them later."

"You did a nice job scaring them off," came a voice near the car. Facing the voice he saw Mr. Red stepping out of his car. "Thanks for the help. I'll be sure to repay you in the future...with some time off of course," he said with a smug grin.

Gohan didn't reply to the man. He had nothing good to say, so he figure to just finish what he was here to do. Without a word he flew into the sky and headed for Videl. When he arrived at the other side of the building, he only found unconscious police officers. No Mayor, no Videl. Sensing out her _Ki_ he quickly found her racing through Satan City at high speeds. Focusing a bit more he could tell she was chasing a much smaller energy, one he could barely sense moving that fast.

"She must have taken off after them when they took the Mayor," Gohan concluded. "I'll be right there Videl."

Gohan took off again in pursuit. This time at incredible speeds. He wouldn't leave Videl to face two, maybe more agents on her own.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Videl]<strong>

The explosion had caught Videl off-guard. As she regained her composure after the blast, she saw two of those agents take off with the Mayor in hand. Quickly jumping into action, she decapsulized her jetcopter and took off after them. She had no idea what her plans were to stop them if she caught them or even what she would do if they attacked in mid-air. She had no weapons on her jetcopter. Yet she knew she couldn't let the Mayor out of her sight.

The two Black Fang Agents took notice of her following them. The man not carrying the Mayor looked back. "What do you think we should do about her?" he asked casually.

"Just get rid of her," answered his partner.

The first man chuckled, then turned on his back and flew backwards. Videl's eyes widened when she saw him charging energy in his hands. _"This can't be good,"_ she thought before he fired an energy ball at her jetcopter. Videl quickly turned to avoid it, but her jetcopter didn't react quick enough. The energy ball collided with the side but instead of exploding like everyone thought, it bounced back towards the Fang Agents.

"What!" was all the man who fired the blast could say before, crossing his arms to guard. The other kept flying with the Mayor. The blast crashed into the Agent and went off. Videl on the other hand was trying to get her jetcopter back under control as it spun out of control from the force of the blast. Making a slight crash landing in the streets below, she recovered in shock. _"I thought I was a goner. I know Ms. Brief upgraded the defenses, but wow." _Quickly hopping out of her jetcopter, she focused her attention on the cloud of smoke in the sky.

The Agent carrying the unconscious Mayor stopped in the air to see what happened to his ally. As the smoke cleared they found him floating in the air with his guard still up. Straightening out he stared down at the Satan girl.

"That's an interesting jetcopter you have there," he said in a voice laced with anger.

"Impressive, right?" _"Although I wish I would have known, rather then being scared out of my mind. Now what?"_

At that moment the other Agent with the snake helmet arrived. He wasted no time before speaking, "What are you still doing playing around? Saiyabrat will be here soon."

"What?" said the other two simultaneously.

"I know you crooks aren't very smart but can't you remember my name."

Everyone turned to the new voice slightly floating higher then the Black Fang Agents. Saiyaman hovered there with a cocky smile in place.

"So much for that. You two should have been gone by now," the snake helmet Agent said to the other two.

"It wasn't our fault. That damn Satan girl was chasing us," argued back the Agent who got blasted by his own attack. Suddenly he began charging up as a white aura surrounded him. "Now I'm pissed. I don't care who gets in my way, I'll smash em."

The snake Agent followed his partners lead and began to power-up. _"Tch, to beat him I really gotta push the limit. If I can just buy more time..."_

Gohan watched the two powering-up and slowly began raising his energy too. The smoke like white aura drifted off of him. Videl could only watch as these airborne fighters were preparing to clash.

* * *

><p><strong>[The City Square Center]<strong>

Back at the hall where the speeches were supposed to be made, the Chief waited for any word on Videl and the Mayor. From the information he received, Videl chased after the Mayor after a surprise attack and Saiyaman followed after them after warding off the attack on Mr. Red. He still couldn't help being worried about the Mayor. If Mr. Red took the position then his job as police chief may be in jeopardy.

Mr. Red was currently trying to convince the City Council to allow him to make his speech. But they continued to press the issue that both candidates must be present. They decided on a twenty minute reprieve for the current Mayor. If he doesn't arrive in that time Mr. Red would be allowed to make his closing speech to the public alone. Mr. Red smiled as he went back to his waiting room. _"Only twenty more minutes and this city will be in the palm of his hand."_

* * *

><p><strong>[Back With Saiyaman]<strong>

The two Black Fang Agents were going all out on Saiyaman. Throwing punches, kicks, knees, elbows. Anything and everything they could come up with was blocked and dodged by the superhero. With another two well placed strikes, he knocked back the Agents.

The snake Agent recovered before getting upset. "What the hell! We can't even land a punch and he's still beating us easily."

Gohan approached the two slowly. He had to be careful of how he moved. They still had the Mayor in their clutches. Although, he wasn't the only one who realized this.

"I've got an idea," said the Fang Agent holding the Mayor. The three combatants now focused their attention on him. The man took the Mayor by the back of his shirt and held him at arms length away, then placed a palm in the Mayor's back. "Let's play a game."

Gohan suddenly froze. He knew a threat when he saw one. A wrong move now could result with a hole in the Mayor. "A game?"

"Yes, I'll call it...Brick Wall," the man continued.

Saiyaman, Videl, and the other two Fang Agents all sweat-dropped. "Brick Wall? What the hell is that?" the snake Agent exclaimed.

This time Gohan actually agreed with the guy. "Ha ha ha, it's simple. Saiyaman's the brick wall and you guys beat on it till it breaks down. If the brick wall decides to move, the Mayor pays."

The two Fang Agents straightened up. "Oh now I see. Sounds like a fun game," announced the snake Agent, cracking his knuckles as he turned back to Saiyaman.

Gohan gulped. _"Great now I'm a punching bag unless I can save they Mayor. Maybe?"_ The man holding the Mayor noticed Saiyaman's glance toward him, but stopped his planning short, "Don't even think about it. The second you vanish from my sight I'll blast him.

Gohan sweat-dropped at that. _"Great, he caught on too quick. Now what?"_

"Let's start the game," said the other Fang Agent, prepared for some payback.

The two Agents quickly proceeded to assault the superhero, who simply flexed his muscles for some kind of defense. Videl down below watched as they beat on Saiyaman. She couldn't even get up there to do something. If she could just somehow get to the Mayor.

As the two Agents continued their attacks, Gohan thought of a plan to get to the Mayor. He had one idea but it could get dangerous for the Mayor. Coming to a decision, Gohan began focusing energy into one of his hands. _"It's now or never."_ With a burst of speed, Gohan shot out his hand towards the man holding the Mayor captive, completely ignoring his two attackers. With a shout he shot out an invisible wave of energy. Before the man knew what happened the **Kiai** pushed him and the Mayor back, while making him lose grip on his captive.

The Mayor began to plummet to the ground. Videl stared in shock as he dropped like a rock. The two Agents on the attack, stopped their attack to assess what just happened. The other Agent finally recovered in the air and quickly looked down at the falling Mayor.

"Shit," the Agent quickly flew down trying to catch his hostage again.

But Saiyaman wouldn't have it. He vanished from the two men in front of him. And with a few quick vanishing movements, he caught the Mayor before the Agent could even get close. Videl let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The crowed watching were also relieved.

At this point the Agents were panicking. "What now Viper? This kid ain't playing around anymore."

"I know, we have to get out of here," Viper commented as he watched Saiyaman place the still unconscious Mayor on the ground near some civilians and the Satan girl. That's when an idea popped into his head. "Follow my lead," he said turning to his partner.

Videl stood by the Mayor as Saiyaman placed him on the sidewalk. He quickly turned again and faced the Fang Agents. "Now let's finish this," He announced taking a few steps into the middle of the street.

The man known as Viper shrugged unwaveringly, "Maybe another time, for now you seem to be busy."

Gohan didn't understand what he was talking about and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Before he could question it however, the Fang Agent charged up an energy blast. His partner noticed this and did the same. _"Same old trick, but not this time. I'll intercept the blasts while I charge in."_

As Gohan launch forward towards the Agents. The snake Agent aimed and said to his partner, "Fire at the buildings on the right." He fired his blast at the buildings to the left, avoiding the charging Saiyaman. His partner followed directions instantly and fired at the buildings on the right. Gohan stopped his charge and looked back as the rubble from the buildings fell down on the unprepared bystanders. _"Damn, that's new."_ Gohan quickly turned around and rushed back down to the street.

Viper watched him race back and charged up another quick energy blast. "Don't forget the icing on the cake." He launched the last blast directly at Saiyaman. The energy blast chased him down as he tried to beat the rubble to the street.

Without seeing what happens, Viper turned around to his allies. "Let's move." Without question the three Fang Agents took to the sky.

The instant Gohan landed on the street he turned to face the charging blast. Throwing his arms out to his sides, palms facing forward, he shouted as a bubble of energy expanded from him. The bubble grew large enough to cover all the bystanders. It made it just in time as the rubble crashed into his energy barrier, breaking and turning into dust. The energy blast crashed into the barrier right in front of Gohan, before exploding. When all was done and the smoke cleared, he relaxed his muscles and let his arms drop to his side.

"Phew, that was close. Those guys are really starting to annoy me," Gohan commented to no one in particular, but a certain crime fighter couldn't help overhearing.

"No kidding. And you just keep letting them go," she said smiling teasingly at the superhero.

Gohan almost face-faulted but managed to keep his balance. "What? It's not like I just let them. If they didn't use such dirty tactics I wouldn't have a problem," he quickly retorted, trying to defend himself.

This made Videl giggle. He looks so dangerous when he's fighting criminals, but with just a few words she can get in his head. _"This is kinda fun."_

"Wait, shouldn't we do something about the Mayor," Gohan said remembering the situation.

Videl simply shrugged at him. "I already called the Chief and told him were to pick him up. Now we just wait to give a report."

"Oh. Well, do I really have to wait?" Gohan questioned really wanting to get out of there and go home.

Suddenly Videl glared at him. "I know you have a busy schedule and all, but I need to give a report. And before you go asking what that has to do with you, my jetcopter doesn't seem to be working right after my crash landing so I'm gonna need a ride home. You don't mind do you?" she explained with a mischievous grin.

She watched as Saiyaman was suddenly at a loss for words, fidgeting in place, and trying to find a way out of this. But Gohan couldn't get his mind to work straight right now, _"She wants me to take her __home. This can't be good. What is she planning now?" _

But for once Videl really didn't have an ulterior motive. She just needed a ride home and wanted Saiyaman to be the one to give that ride. If he always ran when she demanded questions from him, then she would get him to trust her. She realized her constant questioning and hounding probably won't get her many answers from some people. For instance the mysterious Saiyaman and the strange nerd Gohan.

Gohan waited patiently as the Ambulance took the Mayor to the hospital. He was listening as Videl gave her report to the police chief. The Chief wrote everything down as Videl explained it, when she was finished he put his pen and pad away with a sigh. "Well that's a shame. Looks like Mr. Red will be making a closing speech alone. The way things are now, he's almost guaranteed to be the next Mayor."

"What?" Videl shouted. "Geez, why can't they wait one more day for the Mayor to recover."

"That was the City Council's decision," the Chief responded solemnly.

"Well this sucks. I just want to go home and get some rest," she said turning to Saiyaman.

He smiled at her when she was finished. "Guess that's my cue." He hopped down from his seat on a mailbox and approached Videl. Before she could say a word, he scooped her up bridal style. Videl blushed instinctively. She had never been picked up so easily before, other then by her father when she was little.

Not waiting for her to say go, Saiyaman took to the air at a casual pace. Videl couldn't believe it, they were really lifting into the air, and when he flew towards the residential district she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lungs. This feeling was amazing, the weightlessness, the wind rushing through her hair. She tightened her grip around his neck unconsciously, before asking, "Can we go faster."

Gohan smiled down at her. This is the first time he's seen her so happy. Her smile was genuine and she wasn't trying to rip his mask off his face. "Sure," he replied before speeding up in a small burst.

The wind rushed around her face furiously for a moment, so Videl tucked her head into his chest. Suddenly a bright blush found its way to her face. Luckily, Saiyaman couldn't see it from this angle. The excitement of flying almost had her forget she was in this guys arms...strong arms. And although he was wearing some kind of armor she could tell he had an amazing chest. _"Oh Kami, since when do I blush and gush over a guy?"_ she questioned herself. _"Then again, since when do I ask guys to give me a ride home? Well, more like tell."_

Videl just stopped thinking about everything and enjoyed the ride. A few minutes passed when Saiyaman spoke up, "Um, is that your house down there?" Gohan already knew the answer but Saiyaman hasn't been there before so he had to keep up the act.

Videl blinked and looked around before looking down. Seeing her house, she marveled at it. Not how it looked but at the fact they were already here. This was much faster then her stupid jetcopter. "Y-yeah that's it. That was fast."

"Yup, there's no better way to travel," Gohan joked before descending toward the mansion. "So, where's a good place to let you down?"

Videl thought about it for a moment. "My room balcony would be perfect. It's at the back of the house, on the right."

With a nod Saiyaman headed for the designated balcony. As he landed he carefully let Videl down. She on the other hand didn't expect her knees to be so weak and she fell into Saiyaman. Looking up at Saiyaman, who caught her, she blushed. "Oh, sorry. Guess I'm not use to flying around like that."

Gohan just smiled down at her, unintentionally giving her a very handsome grin, "That's alright."

This didn't really help Videl's blush, _"Oh my Kami, he is a hotty."_ Realizing her train of thought, she quickly turned around to her balcony door and slid it open. Then peeking over her shoulder she quickly said, "Thanks for the lift," before going inside and shutting the door_._

Gohan just blinked at the door trying to figure out what just happened. Scratching his head in confusion he took to the air slowly. "Did I say something wrong? Oh man, I hope she isn't mad at me." He then headed home with a certain crime fighting vixen on his mind. He couldn't figure out if she was mad about something, he really thought they were getting along.

Videl on the other hand, flopped down on her bed trying to calm her racing heart and get her face to cool down. Flipping over on to her back, she stared at the ceiling. All she could picture was Saiyaman and his handsome grin. The feel of him carrying her. She felt so weak, but safe at the same time. This couldn't be happening. _"No way I have a crush on Saiyaman."_

Deciding to get her mind off the object of her sudden desire and see what's happening with the Mayoral Election, she turned on her TV before turning it to StarNews. The anchorman on TV was talking about the attack on the Candidates, but what came next is what she was interested in.

"...For those of you who haven't heard the speech of Mr. Red. We will be replaying it all night so those of you out there who haven't made a choice can make a decision on who to vote for. Unfortunately, The current Mayor, Mr. Metro, is recovering from the recent attack from the Black Fang Gang, so we will not have a speech from him."

Videl watched as the screen cut to the City Square Center from this afternoon. The cameras shot from different angles and focused in as Mr. Red approached the microphone. _"This should be good,"_ Videl thought with a glare.

Mr. Red stood by the podium and spoke into the mic. "Good day Ladies and Gentlemen. Well actually its not good. Today me and my opponent were assaulted before we could make our speeches. Luckily, I wasn't captured like poor Mr. Metro. Lucky because I will be able to make my speech today to earn your vote. This city is in trouble. With the threat of the Black Fang Gang looming over our head, many people are scared to go about the city. Let me ask you, is that the type of city you wish to live in? Even if our local crime fighter Videl Satan and the unknown superhero Saiyaman manage to stop the Black Fang Gang, what happens when another group arrives? Should we continue to rely on the skills of teenagers? I say no. Thanks to the police, my scientists at Flag Labs were able to study the technology these criminals have been using. They found the weaknesses and have developed even more advanced equipment. If I become Mayor I will have the authority to establish a new crime fighting unit under the city's authority. I ask you should we let children fight for our peace or should we adults stand up and make it peaceful for our children," he finished his speech, passion dripping like venom from his tongue.

Videl turned off her TV annoyed with that speech. He was trying to replace her. At least Saiyaman just wants to help, but Mr. Red is trying to replace her completely. And whats with this advanced equipment his company made. There were so many things about this that Videl didn't like. Yet, she had to admit, his speech was good. He knows just how to delude the ignorant masses into taking his word. An expert at manipulation. _"Guess we'll see what happens tomorrow. Mayor Red huh?"_ Videl just shuddered at the thought.

**A/N: here's another chapter for all of y'all. Kinda short, at least I think so. I'm moving this arc into the final phase. If that makes sense. Anyway I'm rambling. Read and review. finally made it over 100 reviews. so thanks to everyone that reviews, especially if you review most chapters.**


	16. RFDS

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 15: R.F.D.S**_

Saturday's election went by without trouble from the Black Fang Gang. Mr. Metro was released from the hospital with light injuries and a minor concussion. Unfortunately he was too late to give his final speech and Mr. Red won the majority of the voters over with his. The new Mayor of Satan City was now Mr. Red and he wasted no time in getting to work.

Videl was in a really bad mood come Monday morning. Now that Mayor Red was in office it was only a matter of time before her job would be taken from her. She still had a gut feeling that she shouldn't trust that guy.

Gohan wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation. He didn't care about politics and didn't know much about either Mayor. But he couldn't shake the feeling this was just the calm before the storm. On Saturday he had a date with Erasa and relaxed at home on Sunday. Things seemed to be going okay, but he knew he still had the Black Fang Gang to deal with. There is no way they would just give up because some new mayor promised to make a specialized crime fighting unit.

School that day was calm. No crime was being committed, which just made Videl feel uneasy. As lunch time rolled around, everyone was trying to avoid the moody crime fighter. She would glare at anyone who brought her out of her train of thought. Gohan could guess what she was thinking about. He too felt uneasy with no crime or activity since Friday. Both believed the Black Fang Gang was plotting something.

Everyone was eating their lunch, when Erasa noticed someone walking into the cafeteria. "Hey guys, isn't that Ronnie?"

Catching their attention, everyone at the table looked to see. "Hey that is Ronnie. Where the heck has he been?" questioned Sharpner.

Videl frowned at this. "H_opefully, he learned his lesson last time."_

"Hey Ronnie! Over here!" Sharpner called to the boy.

Ronnie noticed the group and made his way over. Quickly eying Gohan and Videl, he turned to look at Sharpner. "Sup man?"

"Where have you been, bro?" Sharpner questioned back.

Ronnie shrugged with a grin on his face. "I got time out of school to help my pops with his election."

Sharpner frowned at that, "Lucky."

At this point Erasa started to chime in. "Man, last time we saw you was back around the time when we all went bowling."

"Well my pops needed some extra slave labor so I was picked. Can't say no to your parents right?"

"Ha ha ha, that's true." this time everyone chimed in for a laugh, except Videl.

Gohan was glad Ronnie wasn't acting like a jerk, maybe he learned his lesson last time. "Well congratulations to your father," Gohan said.

Ronnie narrowed his eyes at him before smiling. An action that didn't go unnoticed by both Gohan and Videl. "Yeah, thanks," turning to Videl his smile grew wider. "Oh, and Videl. I know my dad's been saying a lot about not needing you for crime in the city. If you want I could talk to him about letting you stay on to work for the police force."

This caught Videl's attention. If Ronnie could convince his father to let her keep helping, it would be great. "Really! That would be great," Videl said getting excited. Maybe her job won't be taken away after all. "_But why do I get the feeling he's not doing this just to be nice?"_

"Of course, I'll talk to you about it later." _"Heh heh, I'll get Videl to fall for me before long."_

Ronnie joined everyone for lunch. Videl was certainly still cautious of the jock, but Gohan figured he could give him a second chance. The rest of the day went by just as calmly. Everyone went out after school to celebrate Ronnie's return to school. Videl being the only one unhappy about the situation. Of course she never told her friends what had happened with Ronnie, but she at least expected Gohan to be a little upset. Yet there he was smiling away as if nothing was wrong.

There was no sign of trouble for the crime fighters. Gohan was beginning to think the Black Fang Gang really had given up. But as Vegeta and Piccolo would always remind him; it's foolish to let your guard down in times of peace.

* * *

><p><strong>[Elsewhere]<strong>

Once again in an unfamiliar lab, an old Scientist and the Fang Leader stood in front of a monitor speaking. The man's face on he screen was shadowed over as he listened to the conversation in progress.

"There's a few things I need before I can finish what you need," the Doc told the two men.

"Tsk, do you know who's ass your putting on the line for this equipment? The Saiyabrat isn't playing games anymore," Able argued back.

"Well it is not my job to deal with the young superhero. I only make your equipment. Why not use the energy draining machines?"

Able crossed his arms and scoffed. "Those things take time to set up. We can't use them on every job."

"Clam down, Able. Our final plan is already near completion, those machines will come in handy for that. For now get what the good doctor needs. I know your capable of it," interjected the man on the screen.

Able eyed the screen for a moment before he sighed. "Fine but escaping that hero boy is getting more and more difficult."

"Stop your belly aching and take this," the Doctor said tossing him a small ball like machine. "That will help you escape and your helmet's are design to counteract it so you'll have nothing to worry about."

Able eyed the small machine before grabbing his helmet and leaving without a word. The doctor could make out the grin appearing on the mystery benefactors face. "Well then I'll be going," after he said this the screen cut off leaving the doctor on his own.

"It's about time," making his way over to a strangely large machine with glass tubes running around it. "It won't be much longer until our dreams come to fruition, my dear wife. I will make sure your death was not in vain...I'm just sorry for the folks in Satan City." The doctor let out a heavy sigh, _"But it must be done."_

* * *

><p><strong>[Orange Star High; Thursday afternoon]<strong>

Gohan had been sitting in class thinking about the current situation. He would have to be ready at any moment the Black Fang Gang made a move. But he had to keep drawing the suspicions off of himself. He continued to leave for his 'extended bathroom trips' which he mostly spent on the roof taking a nap. Since there was no crime, he thought it would help keep up appearance, but Videl still shot him suspicious glares whenever he returned. That girl was certainly keen, he often wondered if that was her 'woman's intuition' that Bulma and his mother went on about.

Gohan was currently lying on the roof of his school during one of his 'extended bathroom trips', thinking about how to get the girl to forget the idea he was Saiyaman. That's when he remembered what Piccolo had told him. "Oh yeah, I forgot I was suppose to try that."

Standing up, Gohan bent his arms at his waist and focused his energy. _"Alright, now I need to do this right. For school I don't need that much energy, so...a 25/75 split should work good."_ Energy began surrounding Gohan's body and with a push the light shot forward in his shape. When the light disappeared, another Gohan stood in its place. Gohan took a moment to look it over, while the other Gohan stood there grinning.

"I'm you, no need to worry about that," his clone said.

Gohan grinned sheepishly at himself, "Well just making sure." Both Gohans broke into a quick laugh. "So you'll be Saiyaman, while I go to school okay?"

"Sounds good to me," the clone replied. "Just one question." Gohan raised an eyebrow signaling for himself to continue. The clone raised his wrist with the watch and continued, "Did the watch clone perfectly or does it just look like it?"

Gohan blinked at the question. He hadn't thought about that. He can't clone technology he was wearing to the point it would actually work. Taking the watch from his wrist he handed it to his clone. "Good call, your pretty smart."

The clone gave his clone watch to complete the trade. " Well I am you after all."

After another short laugh, the two came up with the specifics of how they would do things. After they finished Gohan headed back down to class, confident that this plan will keep his identity a secret.

The other Gohan transformed into Saiyaman and took to the skies in order to fly by the school building and make himself seen. This was gonna be fun. It's like pulling a prank that no one is ever suppose to find out. Although, it would also mean another secret he had to keep from getting spilled. He really didn't like hiding all this from his new friends, but he wasn't sure they were ready to know about him or if he was ready to tell them.

In class the teacher continued to drone on with his lecture. Sharpner was taking the time to sleep, not so discretely. Erasa was actually taking notes here and there on a paper covered in little pictures. Videl on the other hand had her mind on other things as she stared out of the window. She still couldn't get that nagging feeling out of her head. There was definitely something about Gohan. She still couldn't connect him to Saiyaman directly, but even if they weren't connected in someway then there was still something he was hiding. That she was certain of.

"_Gohan has been gone for a while now. If he was just skipping then that would be odd? Gohan doesn't seem the type that would skip. But if he were Saiyaman, it would give him time to scout the city...hmm?"_ Videl was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts when not too far away she caught sight of a glowing streak in the sky. Bolting out of her seat she ran to the window. "I was right!"

Everyone in the class was looking at her as if she just grew another head, until Erasa looked passed her and saw what she was looking at. "Wow, it's Saiyaman." This brought everyone's attention to the sky. All the students made their way to the window and crowded to catch a glimpse of the superhero. Even the teacher wanted to see the flying hero for himself.

Videl who had met the hero face to face multiple times was interested in seeing him. Instead she was thinking about the one person not present in class. _"If one of them is missing the other shows up. There's definitely something..."_ Before she could finish her thought, everyone's attention was drawn to the classroom door closing rather loudly.

Everyone turned to see who had entered. And after seeing Gohan scratching his neck and saying 'oops', they turned back to the windows. All but Videl. She couldn't believe it. For the first time she's seeing both Gohan and Saiyaman, but it couldn't be right, how could he be in two places at once. Maybe there were two people acting as Saiyaman, but how many glowing, flying, super strong guys could there be around her age.

"Gohan, quick look, it's Saiyaman," Erasa said as he made his way near the windows to see what they were looking at.

Watching his clone fly by at a slow pace, he smiled to himself triumphantly. "Wow, that's pretty cool."

Videl was the only one that seemed to think his behavior was pretty suspicious. _"He doesn't sound very interested. Plus what's with that stupid smile."_ Gohan could feel the glare on him and he knew where it was coming from. Glancing in Videl's direction he found her doing just that. _"Man don't tell me she's still suspicious. What does it take to get her off my back?"_

After Saiyaman flew by, the teacher quickly got that students in order and back to their seats. Gohan wasn't sure why Videl was still suspicious, but at least this would help draw her attention away. Also he'll be able to make it to the scene much quicker. Videl was still absorbed in thought, glancing at Gohan from time to time. Hopefully lunch would come soon. All the suspicion towards him was making Gohan hungry.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Saiyaman]<strong>

The Gohan clone as Saiyaman was just floating lazily above Satan City. Now that he showed himself in front of the school all he had to do was wait until he was needed. Unfortunately things have been quiet lately and just sitting around wasn't very interesting. His attention was caught when he sensed a sudden rise in _Ki_ but as soon as it came it vanished.

Looking in the direction he felt the energy, he could think only one thing. _"The Black Fang Gang."_ Without hesitation Saiyaman flew towards the _Ki _he felt.

As he made his way into the Industrial District he saw smoke rising from one of the buildings. As he got closer to it, he could hear the sounds of alarms. The letters on the building said 'Chemical Research Facility'. _"Why would they rob a chemical research place."_

Seeing the five Black Fang Agents exit the building from the roof, Gohan jumped into action. "You guys don't seem to learn. And I actually thought you guys might have given up on crime."

Having been caught off-guard the five men turned to Saiyaman. The leader Able was the one to respond. "You've certainly been quick to show up lately."

Saiyaman shrugged nonchalantly, "I decided to put a little more effort into catching you guys." As if on cue sirens could be heard coming closer. "And look here comes your ride."

"Sorry not today," with that the leader pulled out the small ball he received from the good doctor. Pressing the little button he waited for it to start-up, but when a timer on the device appeared Able had a vein pop up on his helmet covered forehead. "Stupid doctor, who told you to make this time activated."

His men turned to him in shock as one of them screamed, "What! So we have no way outta here."

Gohan watched the strange behavior with an amused smile, "I'm not sure what the problem is, but if you guys aren't going to fight can you guys just give up?"

This made the five men turn back to him. "Like hell. We've only gotta last eight minutes boys. So let's rough him up a bit before we leave."

"Heh, easier said then done, Leader."

Gohan watched three of the men begin their power-up , while two of them charged in for the attack.

* * *

><p><strong>[Back at Orange Star High]<strong>

Gohan and friends had just finished their lunch and were making their way back to class. Gohan patted his stomach in satisfaction when Videl's watch-communicator went off. Even with all the time off Videl was ready for action and quickly answered, "What is it Chief?"

"Videl, there's a robbery at the Chemical Research Facility. We are heading there now. Can you meet us?" the Chief's voice rang through.

"Of course," and with that said she dashed for the school entrance. Her friends watching her off. Gohan watched her go, knowing she would be okay, since he was out there somewhere. As soon as Videl made it outside, she threw her jetcopter capsule in front of her. As soon as the smoke cleared she hopped in and took to the skies. _"So they finally made their move. Just you wait, Black fang Gang, this will end soon."_

* * *

><p><strong>[Back with Saiyaman] <strong>

The police had arrived at the scene and were surprised to find Saiyaman engaged in battle with the Black Fang Gang. It had only been six minutes and the Fang Agents weren't having much luck with the young superhero. But Gohan was having trouble too. _"If only they weren't wearing that armor, then I could knock them out easily. Feels like these guys are getting use to my attacks, but if I use too much power I could seriously maim or even kill these guys."_

Gohan being the hero he is knew he couldn't just take these guys out like that. They were normal humans. For him to do that would mean he is no better then the villains he's fought or the criminals he's trying to catch. His job was to catch them and let the government hand down the punishment. Although he had to admit, catching them like that was becoming increasingly more difficult.

He opted to up the power a bit and began powering up. The sudden power-up caused the area to shake a bit. The Black Fang Agents sat frozen as the scouters in their helmets continued shooting up. Videl who had just arrived on the scene was stunned. She just stared at the bright glowing figure and felt the earth shake beneath her.

The Fang Leader quickly looked at the round ball and turned to his allies, "Sixty seconds, just go all out."

Two of them positioned themselves to attack, convinced they could easily last that long. They charged in but Gohan was prepared. He shot forward and caught both in mid-dash. One with a left knee to the gut, the other with a right fist in the same spot. Both were stunned to a stop. Saiyaman took the opportunity to spin around to his left and used his left to kick the man he punched into the other, sending them both flying.

The other three quickly surrounded him and began throwing punches and kicks as fast as possible. Gohan was dodging and blocking every strike. Growing bored of the situation he flexed and released a powerful invisible _Kiai_ from his entire body, the force of which pushed them off. When they recovered, Saiyaman was already in front of one of the Agents. A jackhammer to the head sent him diving into the ground below.

Turning around he quickly dashed at the fourth Agent, leaving the Leader for last. The Agent was prepared and tried to strike Gohan, who side stepped and delivered a right kick to the man's gut. He was surprised when the Agent barely slipped over his kick by lying flat in the air. Gohan spun with his kick and brought his left elbow down on the man's back, sending another one into the ground.

Straightening out, Saiyaman turned to face the Fang Leader. Able had been glancing at the timer and he couldn't believe all four were taken out in thirty-five seconds. He was sweating bullets.

"Now do you want to give up? Or try attacking the bystanders..? But that won't work on me this time," Saiyaman said in a surprisingly threatening tone.

Put off by the sudden chance for surrender, Able decided to stall for time. Glancing at the timer he noticed he only needed to stall for 12 seconds. "Ha ha ha, your strong Saiyabrat, I'll give you that," Able said glancing at the timer; 00:05. "But soon your time will come for sure." 00:04

"Wouldn't you have to escape first?" 00:03

Able said nothing and just smiled under his helmet. But his smile disappeared with Saiyaman. Before he could blink, Saiyaman was in front of him with a small _Ki_ blast in his hands. 00:02

Able thought fast and tossed the small device towards the superhero's face, as the blast went underneath and collided with his chest. 00:01

Videl watched the blast send the Fang Leader through a building, and watched the place where he landed. Gohan eyed the device heading for his head and caught it in his hand. As he looked down at it he watched the timer switch to 00:00. Suddenly a bright light shot fourth from the device. Everyone's eyes were on Saiyaman when the light shined, which blinded everyone except Videl.

Noticing the light out of the corner of her eyes she quickly covered her eyes from the bright light. Suddenly she realized, _"This is how they plan on escaping. But not with their leader!" _Since the light was coming from the opposite direction the leader flew, she squinted her eyes and took off running.

The other four Agents had recovered enough to get to their feet and quickly took off. The Fang Leader pulled himself out of some rubble groaning in pain. "Damn that bastard is powerful. This better be worth it." After he pulled himself fully out, he dusted himself of and looked towards the building that he flew through. Quickly covering the left side of his face where his helmet had broken, he stared at the bright light trough the still intact right side. He could see it was quickly fading.

"Time to go," he said turning to run down the alley way he landed in, but he was quickly stopped by a shout. "Stop right there!"

Turning around he found Satan's daughter with a glare fixed on him. Unfortunately he didn't cover the left side of his face and Videl noticed this. Gohan had started recovering from the light as it faded, looking around with squinted eyes he could see the Fang Agents were long gone. Then he felt Videl's _Ki_ slowly rising and she was a bit away from him. _"Did she corner one of them? I should help."_ He made his way towards Videl's _Ki_ but still being a bit blinded couldn't move too fast.

"You saw my face, didn't you?" Able questioned Videl with a threatening tone. "Now you'll have to die." Before Videl could respond he charged in. She barely ducked under his punch and delivered her own to his gut, which didn't do anything. Jumping back she gained her distance and jumped towards him. Able stood on guard knowing he could handle anything she throws at him. He'd just finish her after her attack. What he wasn't prepared for was a kick aimed at the broken part of his helmet. Her kick came in quick and knocked his head towards the ground. Yet Able managed to keep his balance and before she could touch her feet to the ground, he whipped back and clotheslined her waist with his right arm. The attack sent her flying into the nearby wall and sliding to the ground, clutching her stomach.

Able stood tall and slowly walked his way over. Raising his hand he prepared to finish her off until, "Videl! Where are you? Are you okay?" Saiyaman was shouting. He was concerned because he suddenly felt her _Ki_ drop.

"Tsk, I'll finish you another time," Able said before dashing off through the alley way. A moment later Gohan came around the corner his eyes finally working. That's where he saw Videl staggering to her feet against the wall. He flew over to her quickly.

"Videl are you alright?" Gohan questioned in concern, forgetting to use his superhero voice.

Videl almost hadn't caught it. She was in pain and was thinking about the Fang Leader, but she sensed a familiarity to it. "I'm fine, but I let the Fang Leader get away."

Calming down, Gohan took a breath, and returned to his superhero persona, "Well at least your not hurt."

This got on Videl's nerves. Turning to him with a glare, she stomped up and put a finger to his chest. "Who says I need you to worry about me! I'm not some weak damsel in distress who needs your saving all the time!" she shouted angrily.

Gohan just leaned back as far as he could, with his hands at his sides. He didn't mean to make the girl angry. Before he could apologize, she stomped off mumbling angrily about something. Gohan figured he should just leave the girl alone for now. He wasn't feeling so well himself. He still couldn't believe he fell for that strange contraption. Out of all things he wasn't expecting a **Solar Flare** in a bottle. Well, not a bottle, but close enough.

Videl was stomping her way back to her jetcopter. She really didn't know why she was so mad. Maybe, because while Saiyaman fought all she could do was stand there. She really was starting to feel weak. But she won't fall behind. She would catch the Fang Gang and now she knew what their leader looked like. She could still picture the jagged scar at the edge of his left eye, his cold blue eyes, and the graying hair that was sticking out. _"I'll definitely catch you."_

* * *

><p><strong>[Mount Paozu; Saturday afternoon]<strong>

The area near the Son home was lit up brightly by the afternoon sun. The light shined through the trees bringing a warm glow to the forest floor. Nearby animals frolicked through the brush on this peaceful day, as two young saiyans and their mother ate lunch outside in the nice weather.

Things had been quiet for Gohan since his last encounter with the Black Fang Gang. He knew they were plotting something against him, but he didn't know when they would strike. At school things were going well...mostly. Videl has been a bit more reserved around her friends and seemed deep in thought during school hours. And other then a date with Erasa things have been pretty boring.

Gohan finished his meal and helped his mother take the dishes back inside. His little brother did as he always did this time of day and went into the forest to play. After he ditched the dishes, Gohan went to his room and flopped down on his bed. With a calming sigh he stared up at his ceiling when his phone rang. He quickly snatched it from the nightstand by his bed. When he saw it was his girlfriend calling, he answered, "Hey, Erasa. What's up?"

"Gohan! Are you watching TV?" she quickly asked sounding frantic.

He was a bit surprised by her more then usual loud voice and pulled away from the phone a little. "Um...no should I be."

"Oh Gosh it's terrible. The Black Fang Gang is on TV and they're here in Satan City. I'm so scared. What do they want now?"

Gohan quickly made his way from his bed and went downstairs to their TV. "Calm down Erasa. I'm gonna watch it now. Just stay inside, you'll be safe at home."

"Okay, your right," Erasa said feeling a little better.

"Great, I'll call you back later alright?" After he got off the phone, Gohan switched his TV over to Satan News Network. There he found what Erasa was talking about. The news crew was filming the city square, where a blockade made by the police separated the nearby crowd from the criminals.

Gohan quickly noticed they weren't trying to steal anything, but what did they want. That's when the Fang Leader, standing in the center of the other four agents, spoke. "Ha ha ha, I bet your all wondering what we are doing here in your city today. Rest assured we haven't come for any of you."

That's when another voice interrupted. "So have you come to turn yourselves in? Because that would make my job easier." The camera zoomed out from the Fang leader and focused on the person beyond the police barricade, who was quickly recognized as Videl Satan.

"_Of course Videl would be there," _Gohan thought to himself as he hung his head low with a sigh. His attention was drawn back to the screen when the Fang Leader spoke again.

"Sorry little girl, but we only came to take down Saiyaman. So listen up Superhero! If you don't show yourself in the next hour we'll start taking our frustrations out on the citizens."

Gohan's brows furrowed as he narrowed his eyes at the screen. "So they're calling me out." _"But something seems different about that Fang Leader."_

"Gohan..." a voice behind him said, catching his attention.

Turning around he saw his mother near the kitchen entryway. "Mom..." he started. He knew she probably overheard the TV and knew the situation. "I have to go."

Chi-Chi smiled at her son. He was just like his father, he couldn't just stay out of it and let others get hurt because of him. "I know. Just don't lose this time or you'll have to deal with me."

Gohan gave her the Son grin that always reminded her of her late husband. "Don't worry Mom. This time I'll get them for sure." Gohan made his way outside and transformed into his Saiyaman outfit, before he took off. He sped up quickly as he shot through the sky. He just hoped Videl wouldn't do anything crazy before he got there. As he flew his phone rang. He put his finger to his mask to pick up the call. "Hello, this is Gohan."

"Gohan! This is Bulma. I just heard about the news from Satan City," she told him.

"Yeah I'm heading there now."

Bulma sighed into the phone. "I knew you would. I assume there's no way you can put this off until I finish my device? You know this is most likely a trap."

"Sorry, don't have the time. But don't worry Bulma, I've got a plan for dealing with those machines. See ya." With that Gohan hung up his call. He was nearing the city and he was taking them down, this time for sure.

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan City]<strong>

The people of Satan City waited anxiously for the arrival of the superhero in question. The police kept their attention on the Black Fang Gang in case they made a move but had no idea what to do. Videl on the other hand didn't like this situation at all. The fact that the Black Fang Gang called out Saiyaman only meant they had a trap prepared. She was upset that they thought so little of her, but she had to admit she didn't have the strength to stop them. All her accomplishments in martial arts meant nothing in front of these criminals. Yet she couldn't help but think that there was something she could do.

Finally it hit her. The Fang Agents weren't strong enough to face him head on. Most likely they would use those energy draining machines they used last time when they managed to defeat him. She turned her attention away from Fang Gang and made her way to the police chief. "I need you to send out some men to do something," she told him.

The Chief wasn't sure what she had in mind but went along with it, "What would you like them to do?"

"I need them to search the nearby roof tops. Last time they caught Saiyaman in a trap they used some machines to give them an advantage. If we can find them and destroy them, then Saiyaman should be able to beat them."

The Chief nodded his understanding and gathered his nearby officers. Without giving the Fang Gang a reason to be suspicious, the officers quickly dispersed to head for the roof tops. Videl turned her attention back to the Agents. Moments passed quickly as Videl waited for Saiyaman to show up. _"I hope they move fast, before..."_ But their time was already short, as a call from above caught everyone's attention.

"You guys are pretty brave to call me out after what happened last time."

The Fang Agents along with all the onlookers quickly turned their attention to the skies above. There they found Saiyaman floating with his arms crossed and stern look on his face. The Fang Leader took a few steps forward before he spoke, "So you had the guts to show yourself Saiyaman. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show." This made Gohan curious, _"I think that's the first time he's said my actual name."_

Gohan smirked at his opponents the way only Saiyans can, full of pride and confidence. "I'm here to put an end to this once and for all."

"Heh heh heh we'll see about that," was the Fang leaders retort. Then quietly speaking into the communicator in his helmet he asked, "Is everything set?"

Elsewhere the lesser Fang Members were situated on roofs hidden from sight. "Yes sir, everything is in order. We did have a few cops loitering around, but we took care of them."

"Excellent," The Fang leader said turning to his other agents. "Alright boys, let's get in formation."

Videl watched as the five Fang Agents flew into the sky surrounding Saiyaman at a safe distance. "I hope those officers managed to stop those machines." Unbeknownst to her the police failed to stop them. Saiyaman seemed completely unfazed by the Fang Agents as they surrounded him.

Gohan knew what they were planning but even if he took them out quickly he'd still have to deal with those machines first. Gohan eyed his surroundings but couldn't find any trace of those machines on the nearby roofs. _"They probably have them hidden. I'll have to wait until they make their move."_

Luckily he didn't have to wait long. The crowd below could feel the tension build as they waited for the ensuing battle. "Let's finish this!" The fang leader shouted, as a humming noise filled the air. Gohan picked up the noise and noticed it was very close.

"_Looks like they placed those machines really close." _as Gohan finished his thought a loud firing sound was heard as wires of red light shot out from four buildings positioned in a square. As the machines fired, the cloaking devices keeping them hidden cut off. The five Fang Agents quickly made their way to a higher elevation as the speedy wires came shooting towards Saiyaman. The four wires were about a foot away from reaching Gohan when he fazed out of sight catching the Fang Agents by surprise. But the machines weren't as easily fooled as people.

The wires swirled around like a small tornado before shooting upwards into the sky. Following the wires the spectators found Saiyaman flying high in the sky above the Fang Agents. Gohan quickly flew to his right and headed for one of the machines, but two of the Fang Agents took off after him.

As he neared the machine he charged up a _Ki_ blast in his hand. The Fang Leader noticed this and quickly gave an order. "His target is the Energy Draining Machines, stop him!"

As Gohan fired his _Ki_ blast, the two Agents on his tail fired one of their own aiming for Saiyaman's blast. They managed to knock the blast off course into another nearby building. Before Gohan could fire another shot the machine let loose another red wire on a collision course with Saiyaman.

Videl could only watch from below. _"Not good, he's gonna get caught."_ To Videl's surprise Saiyaman turned and barely avoided the wire. He picked up his speed and headed for the next machine, but another Agent cut him off and fired a blast at Saiyaman. Slowing his pace he knocked the blast into the air with his left hand, but that momentary stall allowed one of the wires to reach his arm.

Gohan pulled his arm back to his side quickly, then shot straight up avoiding the other four wires that neared him. Unfortunately things were just starting for the young hero. As if on cue, the other three machines fired a second wire towards him. _"Tch, there are more this time. I'll have to take out all four at once. And there's only one way."_

Everyone watched as Saiyaman continue his ascent into the sky. He surprised everyone when he came to a stop allowing the wires to reach him. The eight wires quickly surrounded him like a small cyclone, before the grip tightened around his body.

Videl watched in horror as flashbacks from the last time came to mind. The Fang Agents all had smirks underneath their helmets, happy for their guaranteed victory. "Now!" commanded the Fang leader. All five agents began power-up _Ki_ blasts in their hands, aimed for the trapped superhero. What they didn't know was Saiyaman had planned this.

"I think it's time to move in, Commander," a mysterious person said. He along with several others were watching the event from a distance.

"Yes, let's..." but the Commander's words were cut short. When to his surprise, as well as everyone watching, the red wires surrounding Saiyaman suddenly vanished like breaking glass.

The fang Agents withdrew their energy as they watched Saiyaman fall feet first towards the ground. What confused them was the determined look on Saiyaman's face. It looked like the machines had no affect on him. Saiyaman continued to fall and as he became level with the machines, his body was suddenly surrounded by a bright glow. Before the machines had a chance to fire another round of wires, Saiyaman fired four _Ki_ blasts from his body simultaneously.

The four _Ki _blasts made their way to each machine. The closest two were hit and engulfed in flames. The Fang Agents were caught completely off-guard, barely managing to avoid the powerful blast that went flying by. As the third machine was destroyed, the last one fired off another wire which engulfed the oncoming blast and absorbed it before heading for Saiyaman.

This caught Gohan off-guard. He expected to take out all four with one shot. As the wire neared him, he flew in reverse to avoid it. A sudden explosion caught his attention, when in the distance the last machine exploded into flames and the wire that nearly reached him dissipated. _"Wha-What just happened?"_ Gohan thought to himself.

The Fang Agents were equally surprised, but they didn't have time to think as two more _Ki_ blasts came in contacted with two of the agents, which sent them crashing back down to earth. This time Gohan felt the sudden increase in _Ki. _Turning to face the other three, he saw just in time as one of the agents was attacked by two men wearing similar armored suits. But these men had different colored suits. One wore a black suit and the other blue. Their barrage of fists knocked the Fang Agent out of the sky.

The Fang Leader stared on in shock, but his attention was drawn to a man clad in a green suit attacking his last ally. After a swift combination, he placed the Fang Agent into a hold that locked him in place. Gohan was stunned to say the least. He had no idea where they came from, but it looked like they were on his side. Videl was equally stunned, but she had an idea of who these people were.

"What the hell is going on!" The Fang Leader shouted in frustration. That's when three more men came floating down behind him. All three were wearing suits just like the rest but theirs were noticeably different. The one in the center had protruding shoulder pads and what looked like a cannon like machine on his right arm. The one to his right had a striped pattern running along his red suit. And the one to his left had an extra large helmet making his head look more oval then round.

Gohan had taken a look around. The area that was previously occupied by Black Fang Agents was now occupied by these mysterious fighters dressed in different colored suits. Two were obviously women which was easy enough to tell through their yellow and pink suits because of their protruding chests. He also noticed these people all had the same symbol on their chests. It was a red triangle sitting on its side like a flag and the letters RF in white.

"We are here to put a stop to your criminal activities. Surrender now or you'll risk making this harder on yourselves." the man with the cannon arm said in a commanding tone.

"What? Who the hell are you bastards!" The Fang Leader questioned in anger.

The man who spoke before was the only one with a helmet that stopped around the mouth. He smiled confidently before answering. "We are a special unit established by Mayor Red in order to deal with criminals like you. Role call!"

The two girls off to the side made several poses in sync before one called out. "Pink Soldier ready!" Then the other said, "Yellow Soldier set!"

The two men who had fired _Ki_ blasts at the unsuspecting Fang Agents did similar poses. "White Soldier good to go!" "Red Soldier fired up!"

The two who double-teamed their target did the same and called out. "Blue Soldier serving justice!" "Black Soldier dishing out pain!"

The man holding the Fang Agent in his hold didn't move but shouted out, "Green Soldier taking the lead!"

Then the two men on either side of the one who called for the role call, took fighting stances and called, "Black Captain at your service!" "Red captain combat ready!"

Finally the man in the center crossed his arms over his chest. "And I am the Silver Commander. Together we are..." together all ten shouted, "The Red Flag Defense Squad!"

**A/N: hey readers sorry for the long wait. I've been focusing on joining the military, but I'll keep trying to post chapters hopefully in a more timely manner. Mayor Red finally made his move and established his special crime fighting unit. Gohan has an odd feeling about the Fang Leader, wonder what that could mean? And the saga is heading for the climax. Thanks for everyone who reviewed my previous chapter. And in the next chapter I'll explain how Gohan managed to pull off that trick with the energy draining machines, but if anyone can guess I'll give you a shout out. Any way read and review, please and thank you.**


	17. End of the Fang Gang

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 16: End of the Fang Gang**_

Everyone watched in awed silence as the R.F.D.S introduced themselves. Gohan was confused but was internally grateful he dropped the ginyu-like poses for his superhero persona early on. Videl was right when she said those poses were lame. He could only see how lame when someone else did them in such a serious moment. _"Guess my memory of the Ginyu Force was a bit off. But I was just a kid, who could blame me?"_

Videl was stunned. Not only had these guys managed to help Saiyaman, unlike her, these people could also fly and fire energy blasts. This was the secret squad Mr. Red had developed proper Ki Manipulation gear for? These were the people who were going to replace her? And why were they so lame? She couldn't help feeling weak as these questions crossed her mind.

The Black Fang Agents, who were recovering from the unexpected assault, stared into the sky at their new enemies. One was still in a grapple hold performed by the Green Soldier and couldn't break free. The Fang Leader appeared to be shaking in his boots while facing the three men in charge of this squad.

"What the hell is this! Some kind of joke!" the Fang Leader shouted in rage.

The Silver Commander's ever present smirk widened slightly. "No joke," he said calmly, "We are here to end your little gang."

A low growl could be heard emanating from the Fang Leader. "Just try it you bastards! Let's take em' down boys!" he ordered.

"Good, I was hoping we could finish this quickly. Squad..! Strike Formation! Let's put an end to this."

The Green Soldier didn't waste a moment as he turned himself and his captive upside down and began plummeting towards the ground, picking up speed as he went. The Fang Agent in his hold began to panic, but his shouts to release him were ignored as they came crashing into the street below. A cloud of dust and debris wafted into the air. The crowed watching gasped at the sudden dive. As the smoke cleared, the Green Soldier stood over the body of a presumably unconscious Fang Agent.

Gohan wasn't very happy with what happened. He saw the Green Soldier position himself above the Agent at the last moment sending all the force of the momentum onto him. Even with their protective suits, this kind of damage could cause some serious effects. The fact that the Agents helmet was smashed open is proof of that. Little did Gohan know this was just the beginning.

The other three Fang Agents stood dumbfounded, they could only stare at the Green Soldier. One Agent managed to find his voice and shouted, "Bastard! We'll kill you."

But their attention was drawn to a nearby voice. "Shouldn't you worry more about yourselves?" questioned the seductive voice of the Pink Soldier.

"She's right you know," added the Blue Soldier making the three look around themselves only to find each one was surrounded by two soldiers each.

"What the..." was all one of the Agents managed to say before the soldiers struck. The Pink and Yellow Soldier began assaulting their target from both sides with a vicious barrage of attacks. The Blue and Red Soldier attacked from the front as if trying to dent the Agent's chest and face in, which caused him to back up into a nearby wall and pinned by his assailants. The White and Black Soldier took a different approach. While the Black Soldier held the Agent in a Full Nelson, the White soldier unleashed his assault on the undefended Agent.

Everyone watched the brutal assault. Even though these were criminals who didn't hesitate to place innocent people in danger, they were still human such cruel attacks could seriously harm these men. This would sooner place them in the hospital or morgue before prison. But their attention was soon taken by the shouting Fang Leader.

"You fukin' cowards!" shouted an enraged Leader as he faced the three who have yet to make a move, expecting them to assault him at any moment.

"Now, now there's no need for such vulgar language," the Silver Commander retorted with a smirk.

Then the Black Captain floated forward slowly while he spoke, "Let me handle this Commander, I'll show him we are no cowards. We're just getting this done as efficiently as possible."

"Go right ahead," the Commander replied casually.

This caused the Fang leader to gain some confidence. Perhaps he could pull off an escape? "You really think you can beat me on your own with that imitation equipment?"

This made the Black Captain chuckle loudly. "Imitation? You really have no idea. My suit not only allows me to draw on my natural _Ki_ but it also has its own reserve of energy built into the suit," he explained before bending his arms at his hips and powering up. His purple aura surrounded him and grew in size as his power level skyrocketed. Even Gohan was impressed, he was drawing out more power then the Fang Agents ever had and he knew the Fang Leader didn't stand a chance.

"Oh yeah, let's see what you can do?" the Fang Leader argued back before powering up as well. But his power level was hardly matching up to the Black Captain's. He was beginning to lose his nerves as he watched his scouter continue to rise.

"Time to finish this," the Captain announced as he barreled forward and lashed out with a right straight aimed for the Fang Leader's head. The Leader barely managed to dodge the strike by bobbing to the left, but that strike was a faint. The Captain quickly spun to the left extending his left arm and connecting his fist with the Leader's head, causing his head to jerk back to the right. He quickly followed up with a right knee to the man's kidney.

Gohan and Videl both watched the fight above, although it could hardly be called that. They watched as the Captain continued his attack and the Fang Leader could hardly put up a defense. He tried with all his might to block and counter to no avail. This is when Gohan noticed. _"Why isn't the Fang Leader fighting like he was against me? His power level is a lot lower too. Something's not right here."_ Taking his eyes off the fight above, he noticed the other Fang Agents were already taken care of and being lined up by those R.F.D.S guys. But with the brutal beating they took he didn't expect anything different. This would be over soon.

Gohan wasn't the only one who noticed the brutality these R.F.D.S Soldiers were exhibiting. Videl watched this squad's tactics with disgust. The way they fought reminded her of all the criminals that always tried to gain an advantage over her by attacking in numbers. Though they were taking care of the situation it certainly wasn't anyway she or even Saiyaman would go about it. But the Black Captain seemed to be a different story, he had confidence in his skill to take the Fang leader alone, although she noticed the Leader's lack of skill in this situation. _"How could someone who struck fear into me actually lose so easily? This guy even gave Saiyaman some trouble."_

The fight was nearing its end. Anyone with any fighting experience could tell with a glance. The Black Captain pushed the Fang Leader back with a side kick then turned his back to his opponent and with a back flip brought his leg down on the Fang Leader's head sending him crashing to the ground. The Fang Agents were not the only ones taking a beating today, the streets were also taking a fare amount of punishment. As the Leader steadied himself on his right knee he shook off the daze he received from the blow, but the moment he looked forward the Captain was already standing before him with a _Ki_ ball in his palm aimed and ready to fire.

"This is the end. Watch closely now," the Black Captain said mockingly. He released the energy blast at point blank which caused an explosion that engulfed the Fang Leader. Gohan was the only one to sense the true strength of that _Ki_ blast and once again he was upset. As the smoke cleared everyone saw the remains of the Fang Leader. He was standing on both knees, arms at his sides, his armor had been torn away revealing burnt skin, and his helmet was cracked all over looking like it was about to fall off at any moment. Gohan knew anymore and the man would have been turned to dust.

His scowl towards the Black Captain went unnoticed as everyone watched in awe. This was what Gohan didn't want to do. Severely hurting these criminals makes them just as bad as the criminals. He watched as the Red Captain and Silver Commander landed next to the Black Captain, who reached forward to remove the man's broken helmet. Videl watched with narrowed eyes. She was glad that the Fang Agents were taken care of, now rounding up the rest of the gang should be much easier. Although she was as upset as Gohan she was happy the Fang Leader was going to be put away for all his crimes, after a short trip to the hospital of course.

Her eyes widened in shock when the helmet was removed. Beneath the helmet was a rugged looking man with a full brown beard, but what really caught her was the shaggy brown hair and missing scar. Something wasn't right. This wasn't the Fang Leader she witnessed, but she hadn't told anyone about what she saw. She searched through the police files to get a matching profile, but she never found anything. _"What the hell is going on?"_

At this moment the Silver Commander addressed the crowd of bystanders and the police officers, "Citizens of Satan City, fear no more for the Black Fang Gang is finished! Without these Agents taking the lead, the rest will fall in due time! And if any other menace makes a move in this fair city, you can be sure Red Flag will be there to put a stop to them!"

Loud cheers erupted from the crowd and a majority of the police officers. Of course others like the Chief and Videl who feared this was the end of their jobs as well as Saiyaman who disliked this squad's methods, were silently watching. Videl also had other reasons not to cheer, the Fang Leader hasn't been captured and she had no idea where he was. Perhaps he had predicted this and had someone pose in his place. The police and several medical personnel, who were on standby, quickly moved in to apprehend the criminals.

News Reporters rushed in to get the inside scoop from the new heroes of Satan City. Gohan not being needed at the moment prepared to take off when a reporter caught him before he could. "Saiyaman! Saiyaman! How do you feel about being saved by Mayor Red's new Defense Squad?"

Gohan was slightly stunned by the question. He was never good at being put on the spot so suddenly and he certainly never gained experience with talking to the media. "Um...well, I appreciate their help, I guess."

"Will you be trying to gain a position on the team now that there are other flying crime fighters?" the young reporter woman asked again.

This questioned made him more serious. "No," he said in a cold, stern voice.

The reporter was surprised by the unrelenting answer. "Oh well..." she started but was cut off by Saiyaman, "Sorry mam, I'll have to be going now." And with that Gohan flew off without another word, not noticing Videl watching him leave. She wanted to talk to him about the Fang Leader but the reporter reached him first. When the reporter noticed her, she quickly approached Videl to get a word from her.

Gohan flew high in the clouds, thinking over the events of the day. Things turned out well and the Black Fang Gang is practically finished. But something still made him feel uneasy. Whether it was the brutality of the R.F.D.S or the odd behavior of the Fang Agents he wasn't sure exactly. _"Well at least Mom should be happy nothing bad happened."_

After ditching the reporters, at least the few that wanted a word from her, Videl headed home. Now the Fang Leader was still out there and she was the only one who knew this. She wasn't going to talk to those R.F.D.S people and the Chief would probably not believe her, even if he did what could he do that she hasn't yet? Though the same could be said for Saiyaman, but still she felt if he was willing to believe her she'd feel better with him on her side. She could still clearly remember the way he said he would have to kill her because she saw part of his face. Mind you she wasn't scared, but it wouldn't be bad to have someone else that knew. _"Great, if I had just told him when I first saw his face rather then getting mad at Saiyaman then there wouldn't be a problem."_ She did feel bad afterward, he was only concerned for her. Most people don't care or worry because they think she can handle everything, but if she learned one thing from this Black Fang fiasco it's that she was overestimating her own abilities until now.

As Monday rolled around things in Satan City seemed to take a peaceful ambiance after the sudden, but welcomed appearance of the R.F.D.S. School was abuzz with murmurs of the newly acquired heroes. Erasa went on about Videl not having to be in such dangerous situations and Sharpner took this as a sign to ask her out, saying now she had more time for them. The results were as expected, with Sharpner hunching over in pain from a sudden collision with his mid-section. Although happy about the newly found peace, not every one was excited about having the newly attained time, namely Videl. Luckily for her there was one person not going on about how great the Red Flag unit was. She was glad Gohan was his goofy, upbeat self as always.

Gohan wasn't too concerned with the whole situation. Things were going well and the citizens of Satan City were enjoying the peace. Even if the methods used by the R.F.D.S were ones he didn't agree with, they were an official organized civil force and that gave them jurisdiction over a vigilante hero.

As the week went on, even the naïve half-saiyan picked up on the sour disposition of Videl Satan. Normally she was a bit irritable, but now more so then average, so much so that even Gohan could differentiate from her normal temperament. Although the continued attempts to garner her attention from the jocks, including Sharpner and Ronnie, certainly weren't making things better. He noticed now that she was being called out for crimes less, all the guys tried to fight for a chance to date her.

It was Thursday after school when Gohan and his friends were leaving the gates of Orange Star High. It was the sound of a sudden explosion not too far away that caught their attention. Videl being tired of not being called in, decided to beat the R.F.D.S to the scene. Even with Erasa trying to convince her she didn't need to go, she decapsulized her JetCopter and took off.

"Oh great there she goes. Doesn't she realize it's a good thing to have the R.F.D.S around?" Erasa said with a pout.

"No kidding, she should be more focused on going out with me," Sharpner added obliviously.

Erasa rolled her eyes at him, "You never learn do you Sharpy?"

He gave her a confused look, "Learn what?"

Gohan chuckled quietly to himself. Even he could see he never had a chance with Videl. Maybe he's learning a thing or two about dating yet. "Well, I should get going," he interjected, trying to go after Videl as soon as possible. Even without the Black Fang Gang around, the technology they were using was still out there since the scientist behind it hasn't been caught and she might need Saiyaman's help.

"Aww, but I thought we could do something today, since the city is more peaceful now." Erasa whined slightly.

"Sorry Erasa, I have some chores to do at home, but how about we go out tomorrow?" Gohan suggested.

Erasa smiled at this, "Okay. Tomorrow is Friday anyway. Then I'll see you at school." She gave Gohan a quick hug before turning to Sharpner for a ride home. "Let's go, Sharpy."

Sharpner just gave Gohan a nod and walked off with Erasa. Gohan was quick to act and made his way for an alleyway. As soon as he transformed he was in the air and followed after Videl.

* * *

><p><strong>[At the Scene of a Bank Robbery]<strong>

Gohan had arrived seeing Videl talking with the Police Chief as the other officers kept the criminals at bay. Even from his position from the sky he could clearly hear Videl's shouts.

"What do you mean stand down! I can handle these petty crooks!" Videl shouted, not trying to hold her anger.

"I'm sorry Videl, if it was my call I'd say go for it. But these are the orders from the board. You are not to interfere with police or R.F.D.S business," the Chief replied sadly, trying to calm the angered crime fighter.

"Ugh! This is crap and you know it," she retorted.

Gohan decided now was as good a time as any to make his appearance. "I see things aren't going too well," he stated while descending to the ground.

Videl turned sharply to the new arrival with a glare, but it quickly faded into a irritated frown. "Oh it's just you."

Saiyaman chuckled at this. "Sorry I wasn't who you were expecting."

Videl let out a deep sigh before speaking, "It's not that. I just thought you were one of those Red Flag creeps."

That's when another voice came out of nowhere, "You called Miss Satan?"

Videl, the Chief, and Saiyaman all looked up at the newcomer. Not too surprised to see four R.F.D.S soldiers floating overhead. Videl didn't waste a second and sent them a vicious glare. Gohan was glad that for once he wasn't the recipient of the Satan Glare as he liked to call it. _"She's really getting better at that,"_ he thought slightly wary of when he'd be the target again.

"Sorry Miss Satan, but this is a crime scene. We'll have to ask you to move along," the Green Soldier said in a condescending tone.

But Videl wasn't one to back down easily. "And why should I listen to you and let a bunch of creeps take over my job," she spat back in disgust. Gohan sweat-dropped, he was glad she never hated him this much, most likely because he only tried to help not take her job.

"For one, this is no longer your job. Kids should go play at the mall. Secondly, I am the Green Soldier, Squad Leader of the R.F.D.S under the direct command of the Commander and Captains. I have the authority to arrest you if you insist on interfering with our job."

"What?" Videl questioned, then quickly turned to the police Chief, "This can't be right?"

The Chief looked down sadly, "Sorry Videl, the R.F.D.S has jurisdiction above me. There's nothing I can do."

"That's right little girl, so why don't you take your superhero boyfriend and go make out or something," the Pink Soldier added on.

This made Videl turn on her heel and glare once more, but this time directly at the female soldier. "What was that!" she shouted in rage, "He's not my boyfriend! Come down here and say that to my face,"

Deciding to jump in before things got more hostile, Gohan placed a hand on Videl's shoulder, "I don't think now is the time for this. There are criminals in the Bank and there's a possibility there are hostages." This seemed to calm Videl down a bit. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away with a humph. Gohan sighed in relief. Having Videl attack this women certainly wouldn't turn out good.

"He's right. You three go and take care of this quickly," the Green Soldier ordered. The Red, Pink, and Black Soldier quickly shot off for the Bank without hesitation.

"Wait, should they just charge in like that?" Saiyaman question, concerned about the hostages' safety.

The Green Soldier lowered himself to the ground and faced Saiyaman. He stood almost two feet taller then him. "Don't worry about our methods. And as for you Mr. Saiyaman..." he said, his voice laced with derision, "We don't need any wannabe heroes playing around in our city. So the next time we see you at one of our crime scenes, we'll be taking you in."

Gohan narrowed his eyes at the man who was attempting to intimidate him. "Wha..." Videl began saying as she stepped up, but was stopped by Saiyaman's arm cutting her off. "I understand. But know this. I'll be keeping an eye on your group," he replied voice showing obvious seriousness and slightly threatening. With that Gohan turned to walk away. Videl looked at Saiyaman's back before turning back and glaring at the Green Soldier, then she turned and follow after Saiyaman. She still had something she needed to talk to him about.

"Saiyaman, wait a second," Videl called after him.

Hearing Videl calling for him, he stopped walking and turned to her with a blank expression. "Yes Miss Videl?"

"For Kami's sake, would you drop the Miss?" Videl almost shouted. She was getting tired of everyone calling her Miss, she was just a teenager after all.

"Oh...Sorry, if it bothers you..."

Videl sighed, cutting him off with her hand, "No it's not you I'm just really frustrated lately. Can we talk?"

She noticed the quizzical look he gave her. "I just need to talk to someone I can trust. But not here. I don't want anyone to overhear us."

"Oh okay. I'm glad you think you can trust me," he said giving her a calm smile.

"Well there's no reason I shouldn't, right?" she asked skeptically.

Gohan put his hands in front of himself in defense, "No, of course not."

"Good then let's go," said Videl, stepping closer to Saiyaman, her arms crossed and eyes closed.

"Um...should I..." Saiyaman started, but Videl cut him off. "Geez, just fly us somewhere no one will see or hear us."

Gohan blinked nervously, "Okay." he picked her up bridal style as she wrapped her arms around his neck, causing a slight blush to appear on both their faces. He took off into the air in search of a good place to talk. Although Gohan had done this once before it was still a bit unusual for both of them. Videl didn't mind too much though, she was starting to like being carried through the air by him.

Gohan came upon a large skyscraper and decided the top of it would be a good place to talk without anyone around. As he made his landing on the roof he released Videl, who was more steady on her feet then last time. She walked over to the edge of the building and looked down below. Not sure what she was doing, Gohan walked up beside her.

"You know I always thought I could use my fighting skills to help people in the city. My Father is the savior of the whole world and everyone just saw me as his daughter. He wants me to train and fight in the tournaments one day just like him, which I want to do to test myself against other fighters, but it isn't the only thing I want," Videl said, breathing deep before looking into the sky. "I want to help the whole world, make it a place that everyone can live happily, but there are always people who will cause trouble and hurt innocent people. I just thought if I could keep helping people in this city that somehow people will think of me as more then just my Father's Daughter. But then Mayor Red shows up and now I can't even help people anymore because of those Red Flag people. And...I'm starting to think that I'm not strong enough to make a difference."

Gohan listened to Videl, he never expected her to pour her heart out like this. At least not to him. But if she wanted to talk he would listen. "Kami, what am I saying," she continued, turning to face Saiyaman. "That's not really what I wanted to talk about."

He smiled at her reassuringly. "Well I think you've done a lot of good in the city and you can continue to do good. You still have lots of room to grow, after all, your only in high school. Maybe one day you will change the world."

Videl smiled at him, "Thanks, but maybe I'm not as strong as I thought. Maybe my father isn't as strong as I thought?" There was a short silence between the two. Gohan knew she and her father weren't as strong as she may have thought, but they were still far stronger then any average fighter. With some _Ki_ training they would certainly grow much stronger. But before he could reassure her she continued. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you something because I thought you'd be the only one who'd believe me and help."

This caused Gohan to become more serious, "What is it?"

Videl looked Saiyaman in the eyes, which he could clearly see how serious she was. "The Black Fang Leader was never caught," she stated bluntly.

"What? But we saw..."

"That wasn't him. I know it sounds weird, but I saw part of his face after the incident at the Chemical Research Facility and the guy they unmasked wasn't who I saw."

Gohan furrowed his brows as he thought in silence. Videl thought he might be contemplating whether or not he should believe her, but the look he gave her showed he believed her, "I see, I felt there was something off about the Fang Leader last time and this would explain it. But then where could he be? Why did he try to trick the public? And why didn't you tell me sooner?"

The last question made Videl blush a bit, "Eh..? Well...I just got mad at you and I know I shouldn't have," she started, looking at the ground in shame and trying to hide the fact that heat was rising to her face. "I just wasn't use to people being concerned about my well being. I mean if I got hurt people would say something but everyone expects me to handle crimes without trouble, so...it was just kinda new to me."

Videl looked up when she heard Saiyaman chuckle. "So that's why you got mad, I really wasn't sure what I had done to make you mad. Well, guess that's really not important anymore, but I will always be concerned about your safety. Just like you would be for me, after all it's our job to make sure everyone is safe and sound."

Blinking in surprise, she started smiling at what he said, "Yeah guess your right."

"Good. As for the Fang Leader. If he's still out there then he'll make a move sooner or later. For now we'll just have to wait."

Getting serious again, she replied, "Yeah, at least now your on my side."

Gohan gave her his handsome grin again, which was starting to get to Videl. His calm, confident grin just affected her in ways she didn't want to admit. "I'm always on your side, Videl," he said casually, not realizing the affect his words had on her as she blushed. "So do you need a lift home?"

Videl was trying hard to keep the heat from rising to her cheeks, but the thought of flying in his arms again wasn't helping. "Um, yeah that would be helpful."

"Alright," and with that he swopped her off her feet again and took off into the air. Videl really wasn't feeling herself. Blushing, smiling at a boy, and being carried in his arms were things she never thought she would do. She didn't even know who he really was. Looking up at his face she saw the mask that clung to his face, she could hardly picture the face she saw the first time he showed up in the city, but there was this familiar aura about him. For a moment she considered reaching up and taking the mask off his face, but that wasn't the way she wanted to discover his secret. Not after he was willing to trust her about the Fang Leader. She was really starting to trust him and she believed he trusted her. Also she didn't want to take the chance of him dropping her out of surprise.

Saiyaman landed on her balcony and put her on her feet. Videl walked up to her balcony door and slid it open, turning back to look at him. "Well, thanks for the lift."

"No problem," Saiyaman replied with a smile.

Videl returned it with her own smile, "But don't get too comfortable Saiyaman. Once we deal with the Fang Leader and I figure out what to do about my job, I'll put my focus back on discovering who you really are."

Gohan chuckled at this, "You really are stubborn, but...i don't expect any less from you."

Videl frowned at this. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Gohan smiled at her undeterred by her frown and attempt at a glare. "Just that you're not one to give up easily and most of the time that's a good trait to have, but don't expect it to be so easy."

"And why do you need to keep such a big secret? Actually I'd bet you have a lot of secrets."

"Well, I wouldn't say secrets, but facts that I would rather not advertise. As for who I am...well that is a secret and maybe someday I'll tell you why," Gohan retorted, before floating into the air. "See you later, Videl"

Videl watched as he flew off. "Facts that you don't want to advertise huh?" A small smile formed on her lips as she thought, _"Well I'm gonna get all the facts and figure you out Saiyaman."_

The following day, everyone seemed to notice Videl's improved mood. As always Erasa was the first to question her about it. But Videl wasn't yet comfortable about telling her best friend about her recent encounters with Saiyaman, knowing she would blow things out of proportion. Of course the Jocks only took this as a good opportunity to get on the girl's good side, which they still failed at miserably. Mainly do to Videl outright ignoring them, she wasn't going to let these idiot boys ruin her good mood.

After school Gohan and Erasa bid their farewells to their friends for the day as they headed out for a date. With the city back to being a peaceful metropolis, they wouldn't have to worry about anything dangerous happening and for once Gohan wouldn't have to rush her home to go fight criminals. They enjoyed going to the movies, having an early dinner, and then headed out for a few games at the arcade.

As Gohan's head hit his pillow, he continued thinking about the Fang Leader and what he may be planning. Not only that but he also had to find a way around the R.F.D.S. Of course they wouldn't be able to arrest him if he did show up as Saiyaman, but being a wanted criminal certainly wasn't in his agenda. Not to mention what his mother would do if her son really became a delinquent. His head throbbed just thinking about it. _"Looks like things are gonna get more troublesome for now. But at least Videl and me are getting along, both as Saiyaman and myself."_

**A/N: well another chapters for my readers. Sorry it took a while been a bit busy. But this saga is reaching its end so I'm going to try and finish as quickly as possible without rushing my chapters. For those of you wondering about the Gohan/Videl stuff, I'm building up to it so be patient this certainly won't end up as Erasa/Gohan that's just for something I have planned later. Anyway the R.F.D.S is taking over protection for the city and the Fang Leader is still out there.**

**And a shout out to bakkasama who has predicted a lot of stuff but is still a bit off. Which leaves me with a question. The R.F.D.S was loosely based on the power rangers like many pointed out but there is a deeper meaning behind them. All the hints are out there and I know someone had a guess about it before, but I want to see if anyone can guess the significance behind Mr. Red and his R.F.D.S? It really shouldn't be too difficult although I'm certain no one can guess the details behind it all and that will be revealed within the next two chapters. One more hint is that it has to do with something before Gohan's time. Now that I think about it that makes it a bit too easy, guess I'll just have to see.**


	18. Explosion

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 17: Explosion**_

A week passed by after Videl's talk with Saiyaman and although frustrated about her job being taken away, she could admit the peace was comforting. She was able to spend more time studying for school, hang out with her friends, and even get some needed training in. With the extra time she was able to push herself harder and she was hoping it would benefit, but after just a week even she knew she couldn't improve that much. Erasa was also enjoying the extra time with her best friend. "Girl time" was filled with shopping and unfortunately Erasa going on and on about how great of a boyfriend Gohan is.

Videl was happy for her best friend and she was glad to know Gohan was treating her well, but she was getting quite annoyed. Always hearing about how much of a gentleman he is, how he's such a smarty, and really funny was getting to her. As much as she hated to admit it she was a bit jealous. Not of Erasa being with Gohan, of course, but the fact that her best friend had someone that could make her happy. She wasn't the one for boys and dating mostly because of her father's attitude towards any boy she may like, but also because there just weren't any guys she might actually be interested in.

Well that wasn't completely true. She knew Gohan was an interesting guy and as much as she was sure he was hiding something, he just wasn't her type. If she could think of one guy she was really interested in it would have to be Saiyaman. Maybe it was just her curiosity getting the best of her or his amazing abilities and strength, who knew. But still, dating the superhero wasn't really all that appealing at the moment. Considering she had no idea who he was or when the next time she would even see him.

Today was Friday and Videl couldn't wait for the school day to end. Erasa arranged an outing to the local teen club and despite her wanting to go training instead; it was better than getting dragged off to the mall. Plus she wouldn't mind going out with her friends for some fun. Erasa made a good point saying with the new found peace everyone could enjoy themselves more. There was just one thing she wasn't so sure about. Ronnie was coming as well. With his on and off school life, due to him helping his father with various things, he hasn't been around often and Erasa being the nice girl she is; invited him.

Seeing as Gohan was dating Erasa, she was sure Ronnie wouldn't get on Gohan's case like their last outing. And since he promised to talk with his father about her job, which he reassures will come when things in Mayor Red's new position are settled, she would try to be friendly with him.

When class ended everyone put their things away in their lockers and met up at the front gate. Erasa was the first to speak, "Well we need to go to my house and get ready for tonight so why don't you boys hang out...or maybe you guys should change into something different too."

Sharpner scoffed at the idea, "I look good in anything Erasa."

She sighed at his obviously failed attempt at showing off his charisma, "Yeah well why don't you wear something more appropriate for the club scene? Oh and Sharpie, let Gohan borrow something good."

At this Gohan looked down at his clothes in confusion, he was wearing dark blue jeans and a plain white long-sleeved shirt. He turned to his girlfriend. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" he questioned naively.

The girls giggled at this and even Videl couldn't help crack a smile. "Sorry Honey, you're cute but you're not exactly fashionable. Sharpner will help you out." Erasa replied.

Gohan looked bewildered, but simply nodded, and replied, "Okay." He knew he wasn't the best when it came to fashion but Erasa's never noted it before. He was beginning to wonder what kind of place they were going. From what Bulma had told him about clubs he understood it was for dancing and socializing, but what did that have to do with clothes.

After figuring out when they would meet up and saying their farewells, everyone went their own way. The girls went to Erasa's, Gohan and Sharpner went to the latter's home, and the other three boys went to theirs.

After a few hours everyone met up at The Spot, one of the local teen clubs in the downtown district. Gohan and Sharpner were the first to arrive, both wearing stylish clothes courtesy of Sharpner. Sharpner wore black slacks and a dark green muscle shirt, while Gohan borrowed a pair of black slacks and a navy blue long-sleeved button up. After a few minutes of waiting, the other three boys showed up dressed to impress. They chatted for a bit outside until the girls arrived.

When the boys caught sight of the girls, their jaws dropped. Most notable were Erasa and Videl. Erasa was wearing a black cocktail dress reaching to her knees, and matching high heels. Videl wore a purple skirt, a black tank top, and matching pumps. Gohan was amazed. He had never seen girls dress up so nicely. It was the first time he thought a girl looked hot. Erasa noticed her boyfriend staring and slightly swayed her hips while approaching him, making Gohan blush a bit.

"You like what you see?" she said seductively.

Gohan gulped rather loudly and nervously replied, "Um, yeah. You girls look great."

The girls smiled at the at the shy boy's compliment. "Aw, thank you Gohan."

Not wanting to fall behind the other boys also added their compliments. Ronnie was more direct and stepped up to Videl. "You're lookin' sexy tonight Videl," he said with a smile.

Videl frowned at this. Could she just go out with her friends without being hit on? "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go in already."

"Great idea, I'm ready to dance," Erasa agreed, taking Gohan's arm and walking to the entrance. The others followed after them.

Once inside they quickly grabbed a table to call their own. Seeing as it was Friday, the club was kind of packed. Erasa didn't waste a minute to drag Gohan to the dance floor. Gohan reluctantly told her he didn't know how to dance, but she assured him he'd be fine. Videl got a good laugh out of watching Gohan try to dance. He was stiff and off beat, but after a while he got the hang of it. The girls eventually got to the dance floor as well. Even Videl, who opted to dance by herself. Of course Ronnie didn't waste this opportunity and tried to be her partner, but she simply ignored him and continued dancing on her own.

After about two hours later everyone was off doing something. Erasa and Gohan were still full of energy, dancing away. Sharpner, Ken, and Tim were off trying to pick-up girls. Jane and Doris were away from the table trying to order drinks from the overly crowded drink bar.

This left Videl stuck sitting at their table with Ronnie. She was getting annoyed by his constant attempts to flirt with her and was reaching her limit. "So Videl how about we get outta here and find a place to be more alone?" Ronnie asked wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

This was the last straw. Taking his arm off her shoulders, Videl turned to Ronnie and sternly said, "What's your problem? I thought I told you I. Don't. Like. You. In that way."

Ronnie shrugged it off as if it wasn't a big deal. "Come on Videl, there's no one better than me to be your boyfriend. I've even talked with my dad about getting you a spot on the R.F.D.S. I'm sure I can convince him soon."

Videl heard what he said over the music and she really wasn't happy with it. "I never asked to be a part of that R.F.D.S. I only want to keep helping the police in my own way. And again I don't like you that way. We can be friends, but I'll never go out with you, got it?"

This made Ronnie narrow his green eyes at Videl. "Why the hell do you have to be so damn stubborn!?" he yelled above the loud music. Not enough for everyone to hear, but enough for some people nearby to turn their head. Grabbing hold of Videl's arm he pulled her close, "I'm trying to help you keep working with your ridiculous idea of crime fighting and you tell me you don't want to be a part of the R.F.D.S! You won't even give me a chance to go out with you! Do you like girls or something? What the hell am I doing all this for?"

Videl was shocked when he grabbed her arm and started yelling, but she quickly got angry. "I thought you were doing it to be a good friend? If I knew you were just expecting me to fall for you, I wouldn't have accepted your offer!" she yelled back pulling her arm out of his grip. "And I don't like the way your Father's group does things, that's why I don't want to join them." She finished saying with a huff before getting up to leave.

But before she could walk away Ronnie grabbed her and turned her in his direction. "You don't know it yet, but I'm the only one for you and I will have you." He said almost threateningly.

Videl didn't like this at all so she stomped on his foot and turned on her heel, making her way out of the club. From the distance where Gohan and Erasa were dancing, Gohan had noticed the rough way Ronnie grabbed Videl. Leaning in to Erasa he talked into her ear so she could hear him over the music, "Hey, I need some fresh air."

Erasa frowned at this, "Aw come on."

Gohan smiled sympathetically, "Sorry my ears are pretty sensitive and I'm starting to get a headache."

"Aw, alright I'll just be here dancing, alright?"

"Sure, I'll be back," he assured her with a smile before making his way off the dance floor and outside.

* * *

><p><strong>[Outside of The Spot]<strong>

Videl made it outside and walked down the street a bit. She was fuming. _"That jerk, who does he think he is? I should have known he wasn't gonna help me without a reason."_ Not knowing what to do with her anger, she just kicked at the nearest object. The empty soda can was sent flying into the nearby alley way clanging as it hit the walls and eventually settled on the ground once more.

"Poor can," came a voice from behind her.

Quickly turning on her heel, she was facing the person talking to her with a scowl that said leave me alone. But the goofy grin waiting for her, quickly made her scowl disappear. "Gohan?"

"Hey," he replied simply.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be dancing with Erasa?"

Gohan scratched the back of his head while replying, "Well I just needed some fresh air. I have sensitive ears and that music was really starting to get to me. So what are you doing out here, abusing soda cans?"

Videl frowned at the comment and turned her head away from him with a huff. "None of your business."

His smile quickly fell into a frown. "Was it something Ronnie did?" he questioned. The concern was evident in his voice.

Videl's eyes widened, "How did you..?" but she never finished her sentence.

"I kinda saw what happened. Although I don't really know what was going on." He said hoping she would tell him. But she just looked down at her feet, her earlier anger beginning to rise again. "Videl, you're my friend and I hope you see me as a friend. So talk to me. Or if it makes you feel better I can go get Erasa." Gohan offered.

Videl looked him in the eyes. She could tell he truly thought of her as a friend and he only wanted to help. She sighed. "Gohan, I do think of you as a friend. Hell out of everyone Erasa, Sharpner I guess, and you are really some of my only close friends that don't care about me being famous or my dad." She said calming down a bit. Gohan was happy to hear that she thought of him as a close friend. She sighed again before continuing, "That jerk Ronnie said he'd help me keep my job of helping the police, but it turns out he was trying to get his dad to let me join that R.F.D.S. And the worst part of it is he thought I'd like him for it and go out with him or something. Kami that guy just doesn't get it."

"I see," Gohan replied, waiting for her to continue.

"Then the jerk goes off on me about being stubborn and says he's the only one for me and I'm gonna be his no matter what. Like I'm some kinda pet you can just claim," she said getting angry again.

Gohan frowned at this. "And that's why he grabbed you like that?"

"Yeah, but don't worry yourself over it. I can handle him; he just royally pissed me off."

"Ha ha yeah I can see that," he retorted.

"Yeah, yeah, it's hilarious to you isn't it?" she said with a slight glare.

Gohan stopped chuckling and smiled at her. "Well there aren't many guys our age that can handle you."

Videl raised an eyebrow at her skeptically, "Not many? Try none. I'm…" But she suddenly stopped talking and pulled Gohan close to her by his shirt. Gohan almost fell forward, due to the sudden action, but caught himself on the wall behind her; effectively hiding her from sight.

Looking down at her with a blush he tried to utter a sentence, "W-wh-what are you...?" but his sentence was cut short by her hand covering his mouth. Gohan noticed she wasn't looking at him, but under his arms at something or someone.

As quickly as the moment happened she began pushing him away again. "Sorry about that. I was just trying not to be seen," Videl offered him as an explanation. Suddenly she turned to walk away quickly, but Gohan caught her arm.

"Seen? By who? And where are you going so suddenly?" he asked.

"It's nothing I just need to handle something. Just go back to the club," she replied back, but the sudden stern look that Gohan was giving, caught her off guard.

"I don't know what happened, but it's obvious you're getting yourself into something dangerous. So I'll come with you," Gohan said sternly.

Videl was surprised she couldn't get out of Gohan's grip. "No Gohan, I…" Videl started, but Gohan wasn't going to let her argue. "I'm coming or neither one of us are going."

Her eyes widened at the sudden commanding tone he was using. This wasn't the Gohan she knew, but she didn't have time for this. "Fine, come on before I lose him," she said turning to go when Gohan let go of her wrist.

He quickly followed behind her and questioned, "Lose who?"

The two quickly made their way through the crowded streets in pursuit. "The Fang Leader," was her quiet reply laced with anger. "That's why I don't want you coming along."

Knowing she couldn't see his face Gohan narrowed his eyes. "You're not planning on attacking him right?"

"No, I'm just gonna see what he's up to. He's not wearing his suit like normal," she replied.

"Good then there's no harm in me coming along."

Videl rolled her eyes, "Ugh, your stubborn. This could still get dangerous if he finds out we're tailing him."

"We'll see," Gohan replied before Videl suddenly pushed him into an alleyway. She quickly peeked around the corner so she wouldn't be seen. The streets were becoming less crowded as they were heading out of the Downtown District. Gohan peeked around the corner as well trying to see who she was following. He quickly caught sight of a man in a black overcoat, looking around suspiciously as he walked. "Isn't this near the Warehouse District?" Gohan questioned when he noticed the area.

"Yeah," Videl replied back in a hushed tone. "And that guy in the overcoat up ahead is the Fang Leader."

Gohan eyed the man in question as he continued down the street. With so little people around they would have to keep their distance. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. He has the same kind of hair and eyes, but most importantly I noticed the scar as he passed by us."

Remembering that as Gohan he wasn't supposed to know anything he decided to question her. "How do you know he's the Fang Leader? I thought he was already caught?"

Videl clicked her tongue, never taking her eyes off her target. They quickly moved from their spot keeping a safe distance, so not to be noticed. "No, I don't know why but the real Fang Leader sent a decoy to get caught in his place. I saw part of his face once so I know the one they caught wasn't the real one."

"Oh," was Gohan's simple reply. Peeking around another corner they watched as the man entered a warehouse building, but he wasn't alone there were several trucks parked outside. There were men going back and forth loading different crates onto the trucks.

"What's going on? This doesn't look like a robbery." Gohan voiced what Videl was thinking.

"You're right, let's try to find a way inside. Keep your head low and stay quiet," she said facing him.

"Right," Gohan replied. Videl was a bit shocked. The cheerful, goofy, naïve guy she knew was replaced by a calm, serious, stern looking guy. She never saw this side of Gohan before. Erasa did mention him being brave when needed and being like a different person, but this is not what she expected.

The two teens quickly and quietly made their way to the back of the warehouse. Taking a fire escape up to an open window the two used it to sneak inside. Once inside, the two made their way to the railing over-looking the warehouse's main area. Down below they could see men preparing crates to be moved to the trucks outside. In the center was the Fang Leader facing someone they couldn't quite see, due to the low-light.

Listening in, they could just make out their conversation. "You're taking quite a risk coming out here yourself," the Fang Leader said casually.

"Don't worry about me. The good Doctor has been very adamant about getting his equipment on time," said the mysterious figure. Videl couldn't quite place the voice, but she knew it was familiar.

The Fang Leader ran his hand through his hair, "I see. Whatever he's working on is pretty important to him."

"Who knows? I only fund him because of the weapons he produces for me. So how are things on your end, Able? Have you dealt with the Satan girl?" questioned the mystery man. Videl became stiff at being mentioned in their conversation.

Able narrowed his eyes at this. "Don't worry. I've already set up a trap for her."

"Good," started the mystery man as he stepped forward into the light, "We wouldn't want her figuring us out, right Silver Commander?"

Videl gasped but Gohan quickly covered her mouth and ducked down so they wouldn't be seen. In reality Gohan was just as surprised. Able, the Black Fang Leader, was the Silver Commander. Not only that, but the mystery man he's working for is none other than Mayor Red. Down below Able was looking up towards the walk-way above.

Following his line of sight Mayor Red questioned, "What is it?"

Returning his gaze to his boss Able replied, "Nothing important. Are your men almost finished?"

"Looks like it. Once we're done here this warehouse is expendable."

Able chuckled at this. "This has been an elaborate plan so far, but it's working well. Starting up a gang and equipping them with unheard of technology to raise the crime rate in Satan City. Then using that as a platform for your candidacy as mayor," Able started saying, as if reviewing.

"Heh heh heh, of course. Manipulating these simple citizens in to voting for me with a promise of less crime and establishing my own crime fighting squad was easy," Mayor Red added.

"Of course no one would ever guess that it's just a front to remove the two crime fighters that did any good in this city. And while the R.F.D.S plays hero no one notices that they're actually running the crime in this city, earning you incredible profit as well as gaining the people's trust."

Videl couldn't believe what she was hearing. Mayor Red was just playing the people of Satan City. Mayor Red's obnoxious laugh filled the warehouse, "And you've done a good job so far. I don't know why my father ever disposed of you, although he never even guessed you would survive."

"No disrespect to you, but your father was a fool. The Red Ribbon Army was a failure because of your father's lack of leadership," Able replied.

"Yes, you're right. A fool deluded into hunting for magic balls. To rule this world you only need three things; influence, power, and a genius plan," Mayor Red said with a confident grin.

Videl and Gohan listened quietly and looked down from above. They still couldn't believe what they were hearing. Videl had studied about the Red Ribbon Army before, but she never would have guessed the leader of that army was Mayor Red's father. She didn't get the stuff about those magic balls, but it was obvious to her that Mayor Red was following his father's footsteps. To Gohan things were beginning to become very clear. He had heard the stories of his father's past exploits and his encounter with the Red Ribbon Army. He was slightly relieved they didn't believe in the _dragonballs_. That would have made things more complicated.

Able glanced around the warehouse, noticing that it was no longer swarming with Mayor Red's men. Facing his boss he said, "So will you be taking your leave now? I still have something to do here so I'll be following shortly."

Mayor Red raised an eyebrow in question, but decided against questioning the man. "Yes it's about time I get going. I still have business to take care of."

Just as they finished their conversation a man made his way over to the two and bowed in respect. "We have completed loading the trucks. Shall we proceed with the delivery to Doctor Stan's laboratory?"

Mayor Red faced the man with his reply, "Yes and make sure you deliver everything by tomorrow."

"Of course, Sir and your chauffeur is waiting outside for you." the man said before taking his leave.

Sighing Red took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "Things would be much easier if the good Doctor would just move his work into the city. Why he insists on staying in that old lab at the base of the mountain is beyond me." With that said, he took his leave.

Videl watched him leave. Now she knew the truth, but she had no hard evidence to bust Mayor Red. Of course Gohan knew the truth as well, but the claim of two teens wasn't going to cut it. Looking down at Fang Leader or Silver Commander or whatever, she thought to herself, _"Wait, since he isn't wearing one of those stupid suits, maybe I could capture him."_

Before Videl could make any decision, the two watched as Able pulled something out of his overcoat. The two teens watched curiously as he placed a visor over his eyes, before chuckling to himself. "Well now that we're done with this warehouse it would be in our best interest to dispose of it...and of course any rats hiding within."

This caught the two off-guard. Gohan knew that this guy noticed them hanging around, but before he could tell Videl they should run; a blue light shot forth from Able's visor. The light engulfed the entire warehouse. Gohan tried turning to Videl but quickly noticed his body wasn't moving. From his peripheral vision he could see Videl was also paralyzed.

They could only watch as Able slowly made his way over to a barrel standing against the wall and removing the top. Tipping the barrel on its side and kicking it to send it rolling across the warehouse; spilling its contents on the floor. He proceeded to do the same with a few more barrels, before making his way to the entrance. "You should know it's very rude to eavesdrop. Although, it's a little too late for you to learn your lesson now."

Able fired a _Ki_ blast at the liquid contents of the barrel, setting it on fire. Gohan and Videl watched as the flames quickly spread to the other barrels. Able hastily closed the warehouse doors before taking his leave.

Videl was panicking. This was a trap to lure her in. That man probably knew she would follow him when she saw him. _"Great. I walked right into his trap and got Gohan involved."_ Videl and Gohan both tried moving, but couldn't budge an inch.

Gohan took a calming breath. He needed to find a way out of this and fast, before they get caught up in a chemical explosion. He quickly noticed his _Ki_ going out of control. Whatever this guy Able did was using his own _Ki_ to cause paralysis. Lowering his energy to zero, Gohan forced his body to move. Incredible pain shot its way through his muscles as he stood up, but he ignored it.

Videl was shocked when she caught a glimpse of Gohan getting to his feet. But before she could think about how, a sudden explosion caught her attention. She knew she couldn't move, but at least Gohan could. "Gohan, run! Get out of here quick!" she shouted, hoping at least he could get out of there safely.

Gohan didn't even waste his time to reply. He quickly scooped Videl into his arms and turned to look for an exit. "G-Gohan? What are you doing?" Videl questioned, shocked at the sudden action.

He didn't even bother to respond as another couple explosions went off below. The walls supporting the walk-way began to crack causing it to slant. Gohan quickly made his way to an open vent near the rear wall, with a metal shelf nearby. More explosions rang out as parts of the ceiling began collapsing. He slid Videl's unmoving body into the vent shaft despite her protests. Once she was inside he reached over to the metal shelf sliding it in front of the vent to cover it up.

Videl couldn't believe what was happening. No matter how much she yelled at him to leave her and get out of there, he wouldn't listen. Now he was putting her somewhere safe and covering the only hole without thinking about himself. As the shelf covered the last gap, Videl couldn't help the tears that escaped her eyes as she screamed, "Gohan! NO!"

The only thing she could do was let her tears run down her cheeks as she heard rapid explosions going off. The warehouse shook and the heat rose quickly. All she could hope was that Gohan managed to get somewhere safe. Seconds turned to minutes before the explosions finally settled. Slowly she regained the movement of her limbs, but she couldn't bring herself to move from the balled up position she was in. Sweat dripped from her forehead slowly mixing with the tears she shed.

Videl didn't know how much time had passed when she heard voices on the other side of the shelf. Listening closely she could make out what they were saying. "Have you found anyone?!"

"No, it looks like no one was in here!" came the reply.

Videl quickly shuffled over to the metal shelf and banged on it to catch the attention of whoever was out there. "Hey! In here! I'm in here! She shouted.

"Hey did you hear that?! Over here!" one of the voices said as it neared. Suddenly smoke filled the vent shaft as the metal shelf was pushed out of the way. Climbing out of the hole, she quickly focused on her surroundings.

"Miss Videl? Are you alright?" questioned the fire fighter helping her out of the shaft. Videl didn't answer. Her eyes darted back and forth through the flames and smoke. "Miss Videl, we need to get you out before the building collapses."

That's when she noticed it. "Wait! Not Yet! My friend is still in here!" The two fire fighters looked at each other, but Videl ran past them carefully to a slab of wood on the slanted walk way. Following behind her they saw what she did.

An arm was barely poking out from underneath the slab of wood. Videl began lifting it up and tossed it to the side, causing the walk-way to lurch. Videl's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Gohan covered in cuts and burns, his skin black from the smoke and ash. The two fire fighters quickly proceeded to lift Gohan before turning to Videl. "We need to go now!"

Videl snapped out of her shock and did as she was told. As the four made their way out of the burning warehouse, she saw the firemen on the outside dousing the flames with the hoses from their fire trucks. The medical team on standby quickly jumped into action taking the two teens over to the ambulance.

"Miss Videl, are you alright? Any injuries?" questioned the paramedic.

Videl shook her head, not able to contain her tears. "No, I'm fine. But Gohan...he's..." she frantically tried to explain, choking on her sobs.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of him," he reassured her before turning to his colleague. "Let's get him in. We'll perform first aid on our way to the hospital."

The paramedics worked quickly as they placed Gohan on a stretcher and onto the ambulance. Not wanting to leave him alone, Videl asked if she could ride along. They agreed and they were off, quickly heading for Satan Memorial Hospital. The whole trip Videl could only stare at Gohan's unconscious face covered in soot. Her vision was blurred do to the tears.

After arriving at the hospital, they quickly rushed him into the E.R and asked her to wait on a bench. A nurse and an officer came by to ask her what happened and for a contact number for Gohan's family. Videl told the officer she didn't feel like talking right now and informed the nurse she didn't have his contact information, but that he attends Orange Star High and they should be able to get the information through their database.

The officer could tell Videl was shaken up. In all his time working with the young girl he had never seen her like this. He told her to come file a report when she's feeling better and proceeded to aid the nurse in retrieving Gohan's contact information.

Videl didn't know how long she had been sitting alone on the bench. All she could think about is how her poor choice caused Gohan to get seriously injured. And what made it worse is that she was completely useless. Gohan had saved her. _"This is all my fault,"_ she thought shamefully. Her cell phone went off for the third time that night. She already knew it was Erasa. She was probably wondering why she disappeared along with her boyfriend, but she couldn't bring herself to answer it.

"WHERE IS MY BOY!" was the shriek that pulled her attention away from the floor.

Looking down the hall Videl saw several medical personal trying to restrain a woman in a Chinese-style dress and black hair in a bun. "Please Miss, calm down. This is a hospital so we'll have to ask you to quiet down," said one of the nurses trying to calm the woman on the verge of going berserk.

"TAKE ME TO MY BABY THIS INSTANT!" the woman retorted. This is when Videl noticed another woman nearby shaking her head in exasperation.

"I know you're worried but calm down Chi-Chi. Let's not make their job more difficult than it has to be," said the woman with blue hair, wearing a simple red cocktail dress. This woman Videl recognized as Bulma Brief.

"_Why would she be here?"_ Videl questioned herself. Luckily for the hospital staff, Bulma's words calmed the raging woman. But the scowl present on her face showed she wasn't happy.

"Um, thank you. Miss Brief right?" the nurse said talking to Bulma.

Bulma smiled casually, "It's Misses, but please just call me Bulma. And my friend here is Son Chi-Chi, Gohan's mother."

The nurse nodded in understanding, "Ah, yes. The boy is still in the E.R at the moment. You'll be able to see him once the doctors are finished."

This is when Chi-Chi jumped back into the conversation. "And can you explain what happened to my boy?" she questioned anger evident in her voice.

The nurse backed off a bit out of fear, but quickly explained, "Well actually, all I know is he was found in a burning warehouse," she started before looking in Videl's direction. "Miss Videl knows more than me, but she's still a bit shook up."

Videl slightly jumped in her seat when the two women looked her way. She gulped roughly as she thought, _"So that's Gohan's mother. But why is Bulma with her?"_

"Thank you we'll just go sit with Miss Videl until the doctors are finished," Bulma said calmly. The nurse nodded and proceeded to go back to her own work.

Chi-Chi quickly stomped her way over to the wary girl in question, with Bulma following closely behind. As they got close Videl got up from her seat. She flinched a bit when Chi-Chi suddenly pointed at her and was about to shout, but Bulma stopped the confrontation by placing her hand on her friends shoulder.

"Hold it Chi-Chi," Bulma said trying to keep the woman from going on another fit.

"Hold it? For what? I want an explanation."

Bulma sighed, "Yes I know, but before you start yelling at the poor girl just look at her."

Chi-Chi did as Bulma asked and her anger diminished quickly. Bulma was right. The girl's face was blackened by soot and it's obvious she had been crying. The tear tracks running down her cheeks and puffy red eyes made it quite clear.

Bulma took the initiative and started the conversation in a more casual manner. "Hey there Videl, sorry we had to meet again under these circumstances."

Videl looked down at her feet. Normally meeting Bulma would be a great chance, but she was right. Under these circumstances there wasn't much room to be star-struck. "H-Hey," she quietly said as she tried to find her voice.

"As you probably figured out this is Gohan's mother, Chi-Chi," Bulma continued, gesturing to her.

Videl reluctantly looked at the woman in question with a nod, before bowing in respect. "Hi, I'm Videl Satan."

Chi-Chi's eyes furrowed, "Satan."

Bulma smiled at Chi-Chi, "Yup, Hercule Satan's daughter. Although, I could never guess just by looking."

Videl suddenly felt shy under the older woman's stare, as Chi-Chi looked her up and down. Finding her voice again, Videl looked at Bulma, "Um, I don't mean to be rude. I understand why Mrs. Son is here, but why are you here Mrs. Brief?"

Bulma giggled at the girl's timid nature. From what she remembered Videl was tough and confident. Whatever happened tonight must have really shaken the girl up. "Well actually, the Son family are close personal friends of mine. And I thought I told you just Bulma is fine."

"Oh," was all Videl managed to say. This news was something else. Gohan knew the Bulma Brief on a personal level. If the circumstances were different she'd be stoked to learn this kind of secret about Gohan.

"So do you mind telling us what happened to my baby boy?" Chi-Chi questioned getting tired of the casual talk.

Videl looked at the woman but was racked with grief, making her look to the floor. The tears that had stopped started anew. Her vision blurred and she couldn't bring herself to look at the two women. "I-It's all my fa-fault," she started saying while sobbing. Choking back her tears she just went and blurted out what happened, "I followed a criminal and I knew it would be dangerous. Gohan insisted on coming and it turned out to be a trap set for me. I couldn't move, but Gohan could, he saved me, but got hurt in the process!" she said almost incoherently with tears flowing down her face as she looked at the two women. "I'm so sorry it's all my fault. I shouldn't have taken him. If I was alone...I...I..." but any further talk was impossible as she curled into a ball in the hallway and began crying. _"Damn __it I'm so weak. I can't do anything."_

Videl jerked slightly, when a hand found its way to her shoulder. Looking up through her tears she saw Chi-Chi crouched in front of her. "Well sounds to me like Gohan decided on his own to go with you and if you had been alone you might have been killed. If that were the case my Gohan would beat himself up for not being there."

Bulma smiled down at the two, "That's true. Gohan would hate himself if he could have done something to help, but didn't. Don't worry, that boy is tougher then he looks." Bulma knew something like this couldn't kill Gohan. Maybe hurt but never kill.

Videl couldn't understand why these two women were being so kind to her. It was her fault. Just then the light signaling the E.R was in use turned off and a doctor, along with several nurses made their way out. Seeing the group in the hallway nearby, the doctor approached them.

Chi-Chi was the first to speak, "How is he Doctor? Is my boy going to be alright?"

"So you're the boy's mother," the doctor confirmed, before smiling at her. "He'll be just fine. He's got a few burns here and there, plus a few fractured bones; nothing too serious." The doctor removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's actually quite miraculous. He's one lucky kid."

Bulma smiled at this and Chi-Chi sighed in relief. Videl let a small smile creep its way onto her face. "We'll keep him in intensive care overnight for observation, but he'll be in a normal room by morning."

"Great," Bulma started, placing a hand on Videl's shoulder, "See nothing for you to worry about."

"Can I see him?" Ch-Chi questioned.

The doctor nodded at this, "But only you can go in tonight. He's sleeping now, but everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow to visit."

Chi-Chi turned to Bulma, "Then I'll stay here tonight. I leave Goten to you."

Bulma gave her a reassuring smile, "No problem and I'll be sure to let him know Gohan will be fine." She then turned to Videl, "And let's get you home as well. You're a mess and I'm sure you could use some rest too."

Videl looked at the older woman sadly, "But…"

Bulma held up her hand cutting her off. "No buts, you can come see Gohan tomorrow."

Reluctantly Videl agreed. The two older woman exchanged farewells, before Chi-Chi was led into Gohan's current room. Bulma and Videl took their leave, and the older woman offered Videl a ride. The young crime fighter didn't have much to say on the way to her house. She was glad that Gohan managed to come out of that incident with minor injuries, but he was extremely lucky. All she could think about was how this was her fault.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened," Bulma said garnering the girl's attention. Videl only looked at her for a moment, before staring at the dashboard again. Bulma eyed the girl before she continued, "You'll see when you come by tomorrow. I'm sure the first thing he'll ask about when he wakes up is if you're okay."

Videl just listened. She was in no mood to talk, no matter what she said; all she could do is blame herself. Videl looked out of the window when the hovercar stopped in front of her house. "Um…Thank you for the ride," she said quietly making her way out of the car.

Bulma watched the girl solemnly. "No problem, but Videl…" she said waiting for the girl to look her way. "Trust me when I say this. Gohan is different. If he knows you're blaming yourself for what happened, he'll tell you the same thing. This wasn't your fault."

Videl smiled at the older woman. "Thank you, I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow when I come by to visit."

Bulma returned the smile. "Good. Don't worry too much about it okay?"

Bulma took her leave and Videl made her way inside. She was glad her father wasn't around to question her about her night. She really didn't want to talk with anyone. After a nice hot shower, to wash away all the dirt and fatigue, she flopped down on her bed. She still felt like this was her fault, but the relief of knowing Gohan would be okay allowed her to relax. Before falling asleep, she glanced at the text message on her phone. It was from Erasa. **'What the heck is going on Videl? You and Gohan just disappear and ignore my calls? I want an explanation.'**

Videl sighed. She knew she owed her friend an explanation, but not tonight. She started yawning and began writing her reply. **'Gohan got hurt. He'll be okay. I'll explain tomorrow.'** After her simple reply, Videl quickly dozed off. Erasa's reply went unanswered. She knew her friend would be worried, but right now her whole world was being engulfed in darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>[The next morning]<strong>

Videl woke up to the bright sun shining into her room. Groaning, she began rolling over away from the light. She had a splitting headache and she had the worst nightmare last night. Her half-awake mind was taking its time to work this morning. When her phone rang, she lazily reached for it and answered, "Hello?"

"Thank Kami, you finally answered. Now explain? What do you mean Gohan got hurt? What happened to you two last night?" Erasa practically screeched through the phone.

But Videl's mind quickly caught on and she shot out of her bed. "Oh crap, it wasn't a nightmare!" Videl shouted back.

"What? Videl, what happened between you and Gohan? Don't tell me…" but Erasa couldn't finish her sentence.

"Gohan's in the hospital, Erasa. And there's nothing going on between us. I'll explain just come over so we can go see Gohan," Videl quickly cut in, getting up to dress herself.

Erasa gasped through the phone, "What? Gohan's in the hospital? Poor Gohan. I'll be right over and you better explain everything." With that said Erasa hung up, leaving Videl to change clothes and get ready for the day. But her mind was quickly plagued with guilt. Last night just seemed so unreal, she woke up thinking it was a nightmare. Unfortunately it was all real.

After Erasa came over, Videl explained to her what happened and how Gohan had saved her. She left out the more dangerous information like who Able was and who he was working for, but Erasa understood. She cried a bit, relieved that Gohan was going to be okay. But when she noticed Videl's depression, she told her not to blame herself. Everyone was telling her not to blame herself and they were probably right, but she still felt like it was her fault. The two had a quick breakfast before heading to the hospital to visit Gohan. Both girls could only think one thing. _"I hope Gohan's alright."_

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait for the new chapter. Been kind of busy lately and my motivation pretty much hit zero for a while, but it's coming back.**** Also my laptop isn't working right, so it took a little while to get all my chapters and info off it, so I could use my desktop.**** Here's the next chapter. Here's more explanation about Mayor Red and Able. Some interaction with Ronnie and Videl learns Gohan knows Bulma, which will be important later. As for Gohan getting hurt, he's use to fighting and dealing with **_**Ki**_** type attacks, but chemical explosions are dangerous no matter ****how strong you are. ****And Videl was a bit OOC in this chapter, but hey you can't really blame her keep in mind she's still just a 15 year old girl. ****Also I'd just like to point out something about Bulma and her family. Their last name is Brief not Briefs. I notice in every story I read that they use Briefs. It's not really a big deal, just figured out put it out there as the correct way. Lastly thanks to**** a chat with bakkasama, I've decided on something I had thought about doing. This involves Able. This chapter really gives the hints for who he is, so let's see if anyone figures it out before he is revealed. So read and review, I finally broke 200 reviews so that made me happy. Thanks to everyone that reviewed who I didn't pm directly.**


	19. Confrontations

_**Red Flag Saga**_

_**Chapter 18: Confrontations**_

**[Satan Memorial Hospital]**

Gohan awoke to the sounds of people talking nearby. It took him a moment to register the voices he was hearing. One he recognized as his mother's, the other was surely Bulma's. It was strange though, he did not remember falling asleep at Capsule Corp.

The two women were sitting in Gohan's hospital room, waiting for the young half-breed to awaken. They were pulled from their conversation when they heard a loud yawn coming from the nearby bed.

Gohan sat up in his current bed, stretching his arms over his head while releasing a yawn. A sudden sharp stinging sensation all over his body caused him to cringe in pain. "Ouch," Gohan exclaimed loudly, before opening his eyes to his teary-eyed mother and a smiling Bulma.

"Well it's about time you woke up," Bulma said casually.

Chi-Chi wiped the stray tears from her eyes before sending a glare at her eldest son. "Gohan! Do you have any idea how worried I was when I got a call about you being in the hospital?!

Gohan cringed in fear of his mother's wrath until his brain registered his mother's words. "Hospital?" he questioned with a blank stare, looking around the room to confirm his location. Suddenly the events of last night came back to him in a blur. "Oh no, Videl!" he exclaimed while panicking in place; arms flailing wildly. This caused another surge of stinging pain to ring through his body.

Both women watched the boy's worried display; Bulma with an amused grin and Chi-Chi with an annoyed scowl. _"Why isn't he more worried about himself? He can't go to school if he's stuck in this hospital,"_ Chi-Chi thought with silent disapproval.

"Don't worry about Videl, she's just fine. You're the only one that got hurt. Although, it's probably nothing compared to what you've experienced in the past. A normal person would have been a goner," Bulma explained the situation to ease Gohan's little freak out.

Gohan blinked at Bulma for a moment before he released a deep sigh of relief. "That's great. I wasn't sure how things would turn out for a moment there."

Chi-Chi decided now was a good time as any to speak her mind. "Great? What is great? That you are stuck in a hospital for who knows how long, instead of attending school?"

"Eh?" Gohan started, staring at his mother worriedly, "Um, no. I meant…"

"I know what you meant," his mother said, cutting him off before he could continue. She sighed out her frustrations. "You did a good thing protecting that girl, after all you are your father's son, but couldn't you have done so without getting yourself hurt?"

Gohan gave her a nervous smile. He was happy with the comment about his father, but he knew there was no easy way out of this. "Well…" he began saying slowly, "…not really. Everything happened unexpectedly."

"What exactly happened? Videl only gave us a short version, but it was hard to understand with her crying and blaming herself," Bulma asked, curious to hear his side of the story.

Gohan frowned at this bit of information and his brow furrowed. Videl and crying weren't words one would associate with the crime fighting heroine unless it involves her making someone else start crying. "She has no reason to blame herself," Gohan stated to no one in particular, "Was she really that affected by the situation?"

"I'm not too sure kiddo, but she certainly blamed herself for you getting hurt and that had her quite upset," Bulma replied. "I told her not to blame herself and so did Chi-Chi."

Chi-Chi frowned sadly, "Yes, that girl was a wreck when we arrived at the hospital last night."

Gohan silently took in this information when something hit him. "Wait…So she knows I know Bulma?" he questioned with a hint of distress in his voice.

"Yeah, I told her I was a family friend. She didn't seem to question it; probably too disturbed by the whole situation," the blue-haired scientist answered back.

Gohan sat back with a sigh, running a hand through his unruly hair. "Well that's gonna raise some questions later," he said, resigning himself to his fate. Looking at Bulma he raised an eyebrow in question, "Did you know you're pretty famous?"

This made Bulma giggle at the young boy's quizzical stare. "Yeah, I knew. Why do you ask?"

"Apparently, Erasa sees you as an idol," the half-saiyan replied.

"Erasa? Ah…Your girlfriend. Well that's interesting. When are you gonna introduce her to me?"

Gohan rubbed the back of his head, careful not to cause more stinging pain. "Well I've been busy and haven't found the right time, but if I know her she's probably already found out about me and will be coming by to visit."

This gained Bulma's curiosity. "Really? I know Videl will come by since she was upset about your condition, but how will your girlfriend find out?"

"From what he's told me this Videl and Erasa are best friends," Chi-Chi chimed in. "But aren't we getting off topic? Gohan was going to tell us what happened."

"_Well that's interesting,"_ Bulma thought eying the young Son boy. "Right, so how did you get hurt? With your power you should be able to get out of any situation."

Gohan smiled sheepishly at the two curious women. "Well…we ended up following the leader of the Black Fang Gang into a warehouse, but apparently it was a trap. I don't think he expected us to get out alive, since he revealed a lot of information about who he's working for and about corruption in Satan City," Gohan started telling the story. "When we were about to leave this guy Able put on some kind of visor and used some kind of technique. A blue light shot forth from his eyes and it paralyzed me and Videl. I managed to escape the technique by nullifying my _Ki_ and in my haste I grabbed Videl and placed her somewhere safe. Of course I also forgot to raise my energy again and while looking for a safe place for me I got hit in the head by part of the ceiling. After that I was unconscious."

Both women listened to the story. Something about the story seemed familiar to Bulma, but she couldn't quite place it. She figured she'd think about it later before Bulma smiled, "Well it's a good thing you're more durable than the average human."

"Yeah, but my body feels like razor blades are running across my skin. Guess I'm not really use to dealing with chemical explosions," Gohan admitted.

"True enough. Chemical explosions are different from the energy blasts you're use to. Maybe I should look into that to keep you super powered fighters in check," Bulma said with a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

Gohan shuddered at the thought of Bulma blowing them up to punish them. "Um…So does anyone have any idea how long I have to stay here?" he said in an attempt to change the subject.

This question brought back Chi-Chi's former scowl, "That's a good question, Gohan."

Bulma placed her index finger to her chin in thought. "Well, with you trying to hide your powers and identity we can't just use a senzu bean. And getting you in a rejuvenation tank would be expensive here in the hospital. I suppose I could pull some strings and get you transferred to Capsule Corp. and we could use that as an excuse for getting you on your feet quickly."

Chi-Chi clapped her hands in excitement at the idea. "That's great then we can send him back to school in no time."

Gohan sweat-dropped at his mother's enthusiastic response. _"Ha ha, as long as I'm in school I don't think she cares about anything I do."_ Gohan chuckled lightly, "Well sounds good to me."

A sudden knock at the door caught the three by surprise; ending their conversation. Chi-Chi decided she should probably answer the door.

* * *

><p><strong>[Outside Gohan's Hospital Room]<strong>

"What are you waiting for? Let's just knock already," said the blonde teen, eager to see her boyfriend. Videl and Erasa had arrived at the hospital and were now outside of his room, but the raven haired heroine was suddenly stalling.

Videl looked at her friend with sad eyes. "Sorry, E. I just…I don't know what to say to Gohan when I see him."

Erasa couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her best friend. No matter what she said she couldn't get Videl to stop blaming herself. "It's easy. Say sorry I got you involved in my crime fighting and thank you for saving my life."

A soft smile made its way to Videl's face. "Right," she said before reaching out and knocking on the door. The two waited for a response when the door opened to reveal Gohan's mother. "Oh…um hello Mrs. Son."

Chi-Chi smiled at the young girls before speaking, "Hello and please just call me Chi-Chi." Looking over at the blonde standing outside her son's room she added, "And you must be Erasa?"

Erasa was fidgeting in place. From what Videl had told her she knew Gohan's mother would be here, but meeting her for the first time made her nervous. "Y-yes, that's me and your Gohan's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you…Eh w-well guess not since Gohan's hurt and all."

Bulma suddenly appeared behind Chi-Chi, interested in meeting Gohan's girlfriend. "Oh don't worry about him. He'll be just fine. We're glad you two could come for a visit."

Seeing the blue haired scientist caught Erasa by surprise. Standing before her was The Bulma Brief; super genius, the richest woman in the world, with amazing fashion sense, and looks that could rival a model. Her nervousness was replaced with a sudden adoration, "Y-you…I…M-Miss Brief…"

Bulma couldn't help but smile at the young girl, when Gohan said she was her idol he wasn't kidding. Videl was watching her best friend stumbling over her words. She knew Erasa idolized Bulma Brief, but this was just sad. "Um Bulma this is my friend Erasa. Erasa meet Bulma"

This snapped Erasa out of her stammering sentence. "V-Videl, What are you saying. You should show more respect to Miss Brief," Erasa scolded her friend.

Videl just raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "Ha ha, don't worry about it. Bulma is just fine. It's nice to finally meet Gohan's girlfriend."

Erasa blushed at this. Being called Gohan's girlfriend was one thing but by her idol. "Um yes it's nice to meet you too. But Gohan never mentioned that he knew you. Ah, Gohan, I almost forgot."

This made both girls realize why they had come in the first place. All the awkward meetings distracted them momentarily. "Yes talking can wait, why don't you come in?" Chi-Chi said, inviting them into the room.

The two women stepped out of the way to let the girls in. Both teens had different thoughts when they saw Gohan lying in a hospital bed, covered in bandages, and smiling sheepishly. Erasa quickly rushed to his side concern evident on her expression. Videl on the other hand stood farther away saddened by the state her friend was in because of her.

"Oh god Gohan, you look terrible," Erasa said voice laced with concern.

Gohan scratched his cheek sheepishly with his index finger. "It's really not as bad as it looks. So don't worry too much."

"But…" Erasa tried to speak but was interrupted by Bulma. "Why don't we give you kids a minute to talk," Bulma said catching the attention of the teens in the room. "Chi-Chi, what do say we get some food for Gohan?"

Ch-Chi smiled at her blue haired friend. "Yes, you're right. Knowing him he'll be starving any minute now." Her comment was only confirmed when a loud growl was heard from the young saiyan's stomach.

Everyone in the room looked toward Gohan, who was smiling sheepishly with a slight blush. "Heh heh, I almost forgot about food."

Bulma and Ch-Chi wore amused smiles, while the teen girls look at him in disbelief. Here was Gohan wrapped in bandages and lying in a hospital bed, yet food is still his priority. "Well we'll be leaving. We should be back shortly," Bulma announced as she and Chi-Chi made their way out of the room.

Turning their attention away from the door, the three teens found themselves in an awkward silence. But it wasn't long before Erasa decided to speak up again. "Are you sure you're alright Gohan?"

Gohan couldn't help the soft reassuring smile that made its way to his lips. He was happy to know Erasa cared enough to worry about him, although it was completely unnecessary. "Yes Erasa, I'll be just fine. Plus Bulma said she'd get me moved to Capsule Corp. and get me treatment there. I'll be back on my feet in no time."

Erasa smiled back, relief washing over her. "That's great. With the medical technology at Capsule Corp. I'm sure everything will be fine," she said with a sigh before turning to Videl. "Isn't this great V?"

Turning to face Videl, the hybrid saiyan couldn't help but notice she hadn't said anything to him since she arrived. She just stood there with a sad expression, one which Gohan was all too familiar with; regret and remorse.

"Um…y-yeah…that's great," Videl said quietly, before looking at Gohan. When their eyes met, Videl's eyes threatened to spill over in tears. Erasa watched the exchange with sorrow. In all her years of knowing the young crime fighter, she had never seen Videl this distraught.

Gohan couldn't let Videl go on like this. Seeing the girl on the verge of tears was painful in a way he couldn't quite understand. He just wanted to see Videl back to herself. "Look Videl, what…"

"Gohan I'm so sorry I got you mixed up in my stupid mess. If I had known you would get hurt I wouldn't have let you come along," Videl suddenly said, cutting Gohan off. "This entire thing is my fault. I wasn't thinking and fell into that trap and…"

"That's enough!" Gohan exclaimed, his face taking on a more serious expression. Both girls gasped in surprise. Gohan never raised his voice like that and his expression would have been terrifying if it were out of anger. "Listen to me Videl, none of this was your fault. I didn't give you a choice about me coming along with you. I decided on my own and I didn't realize it was a trap either."

Videl was stunned by Gohan's sudden words. Timidly she tried to talk back, "But…"

"No buts. What happened, happened. Nothing can change that. So don't feel sorry for me and don't blame yourself anymore. These are the results of my own actions."

Videl knew he was right, but still she wasn't going to just sit there and take a scolding from Gohan. "But it wouldn't have to be this way if you had just listened to me and escaped when I told you to."

"And just leave you for dead," Gohan retorted. "Sorry, but I wasn't raised that way. I could never forgive myself if I let you die to save myself when I could have done something to help."

Videl grit her teeth. She couldn't even understand why she was getting so angry, but, "Why? Most people would have saved their own skin. Why are you so damn complicated? One second you're the goofy nerd from school, then you become serious and brave, and the next second you're putting yourself in harm's way to help."

Gohan was astonished by her stubbornness. One second she was blaming herself for everything and now she was yelling at him for being too complicated. And he always thought the opposite gender was more complicated. Gohan couldn't help but start laughing at the irony.

Gohan's laughter made Videl's face go red, either from anger or embarrassment. "W-what are you laughing at, jerk!"

Erasa was too shocked to say anything. How a simple apology turned into this was beyond her. Gohan clutched at his stomach, the laughs that tormented his body were starting to hurt his body. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, Gohan began smiling at her. "S-sorry…I just…I…" he tried saying between chuckles. Taking a few more deep breaths he continued, "I just always thought girls were more complicated, but I guess it goes both ways. But I'm just glad you're back to your old self. Seeing you depressed like that really isn't like you."

This made Videl's cheeks burn red, but this time she wasn't upset. Erasa couldn't help but smile at Gohan. Even in his hospital bed, he's still so kind to others. "Come on V, just let it go. Gohan doesn't blame you so you have no reason to blame yourself. Just say thank you already."

The raven haired teen jerked her head to the side, shame suddenly making the wall more interesting than looking at her friends. Taking a lock of her pigtail, she began twirling it around her index finger. "Yeah, sorry for yelling," Videl started before looking at Gohan again. "And thanks for saving my life," she added with smile, a genuine happy smile that was rarely seen on the always serious crime fighter.

Gohan gave her his toothy grin in return, "You're welcome."

"Great, then everything is settled," Erasa said happily; glad to see her best friend back to normal and knowing her boyfriend would be okay.

Once again a knock at the door ended the conversation in the room. Without waiting for a reply Chi-Chi opened the door to the room making her way in and setting the large amount of food, which she fought the hospital's kitchen staff for, on a nearby table. Bulma followed shortly after.

"So how is everything going in here," Bulma questioned.

Erasa answered, happy to take any opportunity to talk to her idol. "Everything is great now."

"Um, actually, I need to talk to Videl privately for a moment if that's alright," Gohan announced. Things may be okay now, but there was still something important he wanted to talk to her about.

Catching on to where Gohan was going with this, Videl frowned slightly. Erasa looked between Gohan and Videl, curious about what they still needed to talk about, but was silenced by Bulma's hand on her shoulder. "We'll be right outside if you need us," she said before ushering, Erasa out of the room. Bulma was sure she knew what Gohan wanted to discuss privately.

After the three left the room, leaving only Gohan and Videl, the half-saiyan decided to get down to business. "Videl about all the information we heard last night…" he began, but Videl cut him off again.

"Gohan, just forget about everything you heard. If you get involved you'll only be put in more danger. I'll figure something out."

Gohan frowned at this. "Videl, you can't do this alone."

Videl looked away from Gohan sadly. Right now she just couldn't deal with his serious stare. "I know, but the police won't just believe what we tell them without any evidence."

"True, but I just don't want you doing anything reckless alone. I'm sure Saiyaman would be willing to believe you."

She eyed Gohan suspiciously before speaking, "And how do you know he'll believe me." She herself was sure he would but why would Gohan know this. _"He's definitely hiding something. But how could he be linked to Saiyaman?"_Videl thought as she watched Gohan's serious expression change to one of unease.

"Eh…well…I just assumed," Gohan tried saying, struggling to find the right words. He should have known she would get suspicious.

He was saved when the girl's expression relaxed and she sighed. "Whatever, but even if Saiyaman could help I have no idea how to contact him," She said a bit sadly before looking at Gohan with a slight smile. "But don't worry Gohan, I promise not to do anything stupid."

Gohan returned her smile. "Good and watch your back. If these guys find out you're still alive they'll probably try to come after you again."

"Right," Videl replied. She was glad she had a friend like Gohan who looked out for her even when he was lying in the hospital. "Thanks again Gohan, for everything."

After their conversation, Videl left the room to meet three curious faces. Chi-Chi didn't care much and quickly made her way into the room to give her son some lunch which he was probably dying to eat. The poor boy had already missed dinner and breakfast. For a saiyan that's just torture. Bulma on the other hand offered an invitation to two girls for lunch, which the two teens eagerly accepted.

Gohan happily enjoyed his food, knowing everything had been settled for today. Though he knew he would be questioned later about knowing Bulma and he would have to continue dealing with Videl's suspicions, but that was the least of his problems. He knew he would have more confrontations in the near future.

* * *

><p><strong>[Satan Mansion; Sunday Evening] <strong>

Videl was lying on her bed, tired from her day of training. She was watching the news which once again mentioned her being rescued from a burning warehouse building. Thankfully she talked the police into keeping Gohan out of the news to protect his privacy, but of course that was just a cover. If Able knew who else was in that warehouse and made it out alive, then they would surely become a target as well.

With her thoughts drifting away from the television, she started thinking about the day before. She and Erasa went to lunch with Bulma, though it was awkward at first with Bulma asking them how they met Gohan and what they thought of him; it turned out pretty fun. Bulma didn't talk much about Gohan, only saying that he was the one that should tell them about himself. She did mention Gohan was far more unique than they realize and he would tell them more when he thought they were ready or when he was ready.

Videl questioned her how a boy from the mountains would have so much to hide and Bulma replied saying he had a hard life from a very young age. The only real information she got was a comment Bulma made about him being kidnapped. Of course that made her even more curious but it was obvious the blue haired genius wouldn't elaborate and she didn't feel comfortable confronting Gohan about such a terrible event.

After their discussion about Gohan they changed the topic to clothes, technology that Capsule Corp. had developed, and what the teen girls had planned for their future. While Erasa happily admitted she wanted to work for Capsule Corp. one day and that her dream was to go into space, Videl was a bit shy about telling her she wanted to prove herself in the World Martial Arts Tournament in the future and use the strength she gains through her training to continue helping people.

A sudden light from her balcony broke her from her wandering thoughts. As she got up from bed prepared to fight she heard a light knocking on her balcony door. Videl's mind was working overtime wondering what it could be. Had Able come to her home to finish what he started or perhaps he sent someone to kill her, but how would they know which room was hers.

Making her way slowly to the door, she peered outside through her blinds. What or rather who she saw standing there surprised her greatly. Quickly throwing open the door she stared at the person in question. "Saiyaman?" she said a bit more quietly than she intended, still stunned by his sudden appearance outside her room. Quickly looking down she made sure she was presentable. She was pretty much ready for bed but figured her oversized night shirt and cotton shorts weren't too embarrassing. Looking back up at Saiyaman she couldn't help but stare at his handsome grinning face. _"Wait did I just think he was handsome? Okay, I'll chalk that one up to my exhaustion."_ "What are you doing here?"

Gohan had been officially transferred from the hospital into Bulma's care earlier that afternoon. As soon as he could he ate one of the _senzu beans_ he kept in his Saiyaman disguise. They discussed all the information he had about Mayor Red, Doctor Stan, and Able. Bulma was surprised as well to hear someone was, in a sense, trying to revive the Red Ribbon Army. But this information led to an important clue on who Able may be. The two quickly came up with a plan. Sitting in the hospital gave Gohan plenty of time to come up with something. Now, for the first step of his plan, all he needed was some technical help from Bulma and get Saiyaman involved.

Gohan smiled at the raven haired crime fighter. "I heard about you being involved with some fire, so I just came to check if you were alright. I'm a bit surprised the police asked for your help again. After all the R.F.D.S was very adamant about us staying out of their business."

Videl was shocked he came to check on her but this was the perfect chance for her. Taking on a more serious expression, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Actually I'm okay and I wasn't called out. I was trailing the leader of the Black Fang Gang, but it turned out to be a trap."

Saiyaman also took a more serious tone as he spoke, "Well I'm glad you managed to escape his trap unharmed. Did you learn anything about him?"

The comment about her coming out unharmed caused a saddened look to cross her features, but it only lasted a moment. "Actually, I did."

She proceeded to tell the superhero everything she learned about Mayor Red and his corruption in Satan City. Although Gohan already knew all this, he played his part well and listened attentively. Once she was finished he was ready to speak, but she beat him to it.

"But without any evidence there is nothing we can do."

Saiyaman pretended to contemplate the situation before speaking up, "Well I've got an idea."

This made Videl a bit happier. No matter how much she thought about it there was no way to get concrete proof without putting herself in danger. "Really? What did you have in mind?"

Gohan smiled down at the girl seeing that she was cheering up since her visit to the hospital and she was determined to put a stop to the Red Flag organization. "Actually I can't say too much yet, I'll handle things for now," he said calmly, but the face Videl made caused him to quickly add, "But once my plan is ready to be set into action I'll contact you."

"I don't like not knowing what you're planning, but I guess I'll just have to trust you for now," Videl replied with a scowl, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

She watched him chuckle nervously. "Don't worry. It won't be too long and we'll be able to make our move. And I won't be able to take them down alone; I'll need the aid of the police force and you."

Putting on a confident grin, Videl couldn't help feeling great that someone still needed her help. Although all of Satan City needed her help they weren't aware of it. "So the Great Saiyaman needs my help huh? And I thought with your crazy power you could do anything," she said sarcastically, in a good-natured attempt to mock him.

Chuckling he began lifting off the balcony. "Well even with my power facing all ten would cause a lot of trouble for the city. So I'll be counting on your strength as well. So long for now," he said before launching into the sky with incredible speed.

The teen girl couldn't help but marvel at his speed. She had seen him taking off like that a few times, but still she wondered how it felt to fly so fast without the need for a jet or plane. "Wow," was the word that escaped her lips as she thought. _"I'm glad he's on my side. I may not know who he is but I just feel I can trust him. I guess counting the times he saved my butt helps."_

Making her way back inside and lying down in her bed, Videl couldn't help the smug grin that was set in place upon her lips. Mayor Red would get what's coming to him before long. She and Saiyaman would make sure of that.

* * *

><p>This week was going by quickly without many incidents. As far as the citizens of Satan City were concerned the crime rate has plummeted greatly and any crimes being committed were handled by the R.F.D.S. But for Videl it was just the calm before the storm.<p>

School on Monday was a bit quiet for the young crime fighter and her blonde friend. With Gohan still hurt he was out of school for who knew how long, making the two teens less sociable; which was a rare case for Erasa. After the teacher in their homeroom announced that the nerd would be out of school because of an accident, many of the jocks had made jokes about him tripping over a tree branch in the woods or his head imploding because he was studying too much. These comments met with a rather harsh response when Videl angrily informed them that he was in the hospital.

The two girls had told Sharpner enough to quell his constant questioning. He may never admit it, but he saw Gohan as a friend. After all every jock should have a nerd friend to help out with homework and in turn he would protect them from bullies. At least that's the social norm that he was accustomed to.

To everyone's surprise, especially Videl and Erasa, Gohan made his way into class on Tuesday. The students could tell he had been hurt pretty badly considering you could see the bandages around his head and poking out from his collar. Gohan knew he couldn't show up at school as if nothing had happened but since he was perfectly healthy, his mother wouldn't let him miss any more than one day of school. So he informed his friends who knew of his condition that he received great medicine from Capsule Corp. and would be fine to just sit in class. Of course he had a note for the gym teacher to keep him from doing any excessive activity.

Lucky for Gohan Videl and Erasa hadn't told anyone about his relationship with the Capsule Corp. heiress. He did get questioned a bit about why he hadn't told them, especially Erasa. But they accepted that at first he didn't want people to like him just because he knew someone so important and that when he found out Bulma was Erasa's idol that he hadn't found the right time to introduce them. So as of now only Erasa and Videl knew about Bulma and were happy to keep that a secret.

As Wednesday rolled around the teens left school rather happily. Videl was the only one that didn't seem to be as cheerful. She was glad Gohan was back in school and feeling much better, but she was quite anxious about hearing from Saiyaman. It had been three days since his visit and she wondered how his plan was coming along; whatever it was. Gohan said good bye to his friends saying his mother wanted him home until he was fully recovered. This of course made Erasa a bit upset since she wanted to spend some time with her boyfriend, but he assured her he would be okay to hang out in no time.

When he was far enough away from his friends, Gohan quickly ducked into an alleyway; making sure he wouldn't be seen. He changed into his Saiyaman costume and took to the skies, ready to begin phase one of his plan. Bulma had finished the modifications to his mask and he was now ready to gather the evidence he needed to lure Mayor Red into his trap.

* * *

><p><strong>[City Hall; Wednesday Afternoon]<strong>

In Mayor Red's office, located on the top floor of City Hall, a serious discussion was taking place. Mayor Red sat at his desk, elbows on the surface, fingers laced beneath his chin, and head resting on his hands. He was eying the man in front of him and listening to his report.

Able stood before his superior hands cupped behind his back, in a soldiers stance. "…And Doctor Stan's latest designs have been delivered to your private facility as you have asked."

"Very well, now would you like to explain the situation with the Satan girl? From what I gather she was present when we last spoke in that warehouse, meaning she knows all about me," Red said voice laced with anger.

"Truthfully I never expected her to escape from the warehouse. How she managed that is beyond me," Able responded calmly. "But I wouldn't worry about her. Even if she went and told someone what she saw they wouldn't believe her. And I'll be sure to take care of her."

Mayor Red narrowed his eyes at the confident man. "I see you're quite confident, but if I'm not mistaken you were confident that your last trap would take care of things. You can't simply assault her because an outright murder would be investigated."

Able closed his blue eyes with a nod. "I understand sir, but I'm working on another plan. I should question what you intend to do about your son? Although it's beyond my understanding why anyone would want to be associated with such a disgusting creature, your son seems to harbor feelings for the Satan girl."

Silence filled the room. Able continued to watch Red as his face took on a stoic expression. "My son has made many comments about making the Satan girl his, but if this girl gets in the way of my plans I don't care what happens to her. I leave you to take care of things; I doubt my son could sway her to come to our side."

"Ha ha ha, looks like Ronnie won't get his prize then," came a sudden voice in the corner of the room. Both men turned to face the person seated in the corner of the room; his figure shrouded by the shadows. The mysterious figure had been quietly listening the entire time his piercing green eyes watching the two men conduct their business. "I don't think he'll be too happy with this."

Mayor red withdrew his eyes from the figure and closed his eyes. "That's fine I'll leave you to deal with him."

The figure in the corner stood up from his chair and made his way to the door, stopping just in the doorway. "Okay, I know how to deal with him the best after all," he said with amusement before taking his leave and closing the door behind him.

Able watched him leave and couldn't help the sick feeling in his stomach. _"That boy is just way too creepy for my liking. Who knew I would end up working for people like these again after what happened last time."_

Able could still remember his days in the Red Ribbon Army. He had joined the army in his mid twenties when they promised the army would one day take over the world and any soldier that worked hard for Commander Red would be greatly rewarded. A young Able did everything he could to be recognized and gain a seat as a high-ranking officer among the army. Then finally the day came, his accomplishments after many years were recognized and he was given the title General Blue.

He truly enjoyed his work; soldiers working beneath him, instilling fear in the hearts of the citizens, and killing off anyone who stood in his way. Then one day they received orders to hunt for the legendary _Dragonballs_. Of course he hadn't really believed in the legend but the Commander did and if it were true the Red Ribbon Army would be ruling the world sooner than expected.

Yet his hunt was cut short by a monster of a boy who did everything to get in his way. In the end he failed to retrieve the _Dragonballs_ from the boy, but returned with a _Dragon Radar_ that was far more advanced than their own. However, this didn't appease the brutal Commander Red and he was offered a chance to live if he could defeat Mercenary Tao; who had been recently hired to retrieve the _Dragonballs_. Although confident that he would win, he was easily defeated by the monster of an assassin.

With a single jab of the tongue to his left temple he was brought down and assumed dead. Two soldiers were dragging him through the Red Ribbon base to dispose of his body. Luckily for him, before they could complete their job; he had awoken. Ignoring the intense pain and his throbbing head, General Blue disposed of the two vermin that would give him away. If it were discovered that he had survived, he would have been hunted down.

After escaping, he went back to his old name of Able Blooregard. With his rage of having his beautiful face scarred by that savage Mercenary Tao, Able began training intensively. Never would he be humiliated by some boy or mercenary again. When he heard about the Red Ribbon Army being taken down, he knew it must have been that boy that brought his shame and in all honesty he was quite pleased. The man, who had used him like a tool and threw him away as if he were nothing, had gotten what he deserved.

It was roughly twenty years later when Mr. Red the son of Commander Red managed to track him down. His initial thought was to kill him, but after learning of the man's own loathing for his father; he decided to join him in his conquest to rule the world. Able had to admit, although he wasn't much of a fighter, Mr. Red was a cunning man with a great plan; which made him dangerous in his own right.

"So then it's settled. You'll handle the girl," Mayor Red said drawing Able back from his reminiscing.

Able bowed in respect saying, "Understood, sir." As he brought himself back up, his eyes widened in shock.

Red watched as Able stood frozen in place as if witnessing a ghost. He noticed Able's eyes were no longer on him but on the window behind him. "What has gotten into you?" he asked with annoyance as he turned his chair around. He needed no answer as his expression instantly matched Able's.

Right outside his office window stood or actually floated Saiyaman; an amused grin on his face. Before they could say a word Saiyaman extended his arm and raised his hand to the window; a faint green glow surrounding it. The window also took on the green glow and opened up slowly as Saiyaman moved his arm to the side.

"Hello Mayor Red, I hope I wasn't interrupting," Saiyaman greeted cheekily.

Overcoming his shock over the sudden intrusion, Mayor Red's face took on a serious scowl. "And to what do I owe the honor of your visit? I don't usually take meetings without a prior appointment."

Gohan couldn't keep his grin from growing wider. "Actually I recently received some interesting news concerning you and your associate Mr. Able," he informed the two occupants of the room.

Mayor Red narrowed his eyes at the superhero outside his window; already having an idea of what this was about. "Oh? And what kind of information would that be?"

Saiyaman leaned back as he floated in place, taking on a relaxed position as if sitting in a chair; one leg crossed over the other and arms crossed over his chest. Looking at Mayor Red he continued to grin, "Well to put it simply, you are the son of the Commander of the Red Ribbon Army. You were the one funding the Black Fang Gang and Mr. Able was the leader. After you were voted in as Mayor you used some criminals as a scapegoat for the Red Flag Defense Squad to capture the Black Fang Gang and the Fang Leader took on his new position as the Commander of the R.F.D.S. Now while they play heroes you can run the crime in the city in the background, whereas on the surface you are seen as a great political figure by reducing crime. In a sense, you're playing the citizens as pawns in a much larger scheme. The only thing I can't figure out is what you're planning after that."

Both men in the room eyed the young superhero with contempt. They figured the Satan girl must have informed him. Suddenly Mayor Red broke out in a malicious cackle. Putting on a wicked grin he spoke calmly and smoothly, "So what if you know that much. No one would ever believe you. There is nothing you can do to stop me. The fools in this city were so eager to make me Mayor and now that I have this political standing I can further my plans."

Saiyaman raised an eyebrow at him in question, his grin never leaving his face. "Is that so? You seem quite sure of yourself."

"Heh of course, my father was a fool. He didn't have the brains to accomplish his plan of taking over the world. I learned from his mistakes. I will use my political standing to further work my way into the government. Using my Red Flag Defense Squad I will make Hercule Satan's influence worthless. I will increase their standing until there is an R.F.D.S in every city across the planet. And when I become more influential than King Furry himself I will have these misguided puppets demand that I become the new King of Earth. Of course, I will also be running all the crime in the shadows; giving me control of the political world and underworld. Influence, power, money; I will have everything this world has to offer."

Red's smug face faulted when he didn't quite receive the response he was expecting. Saiyaman started to snicker, holding a hand to his mouth to make it less obvious. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak again, "Sorry about that. I just can't believe you made it that easy." Shrugging his shoulders in disbelief, he continued, "I don't know why the bad guys always have a long monologue when they think they can't lose."

This made Red's former scowl reappear. "Tch, I don't know what you're so happy about. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

Shrugging again with his hands at shoulder level, palms facing the sky, Gohan shook his head. "The bad guys are really hopeless," he said in a mocking tone. Looking at Mr. Red with a grin he asked, "Don't you know the good guys always win?"

"We will see about that?" Red retorted with venom in his voice.

"Yes we will, but not today. Make sure you check your mailbox; I'll be sending you an invitation soon to put an end to this once and for all." That being said Gohan took off away from City Hall.

Turning around Mayor Red glared at Able. "I don't know what he has planned, but I would like you to know I will be holding you responsible. So be sure not to screw anything else up."

Able didn't have anything to say to defend himself. He never thought the Satan girl was in contact with Saiyaman. He simply nodded to confirm he heard his orders.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Saiyaman]<strong>

Gohan was flying over Satan City making his way toward West City. A large smile graced his lips as he felt quite triumphant for accomplishing his task. This put an end to phase one of his plans. _"It won't be much longer before we bring those crooks down,"_ he thought to himself as he pulled out a small device from his chest armor pocket. Clicking a button he listened in to the small receiver in his mask as a voice began to sound. "And when I become more influential than King Furry himself I will have these misguided puppets demand that I become the new King of Earth. Of course, I will also be running all the crime in the shadows; giving me control of the political world and underworld. Influence, power, money; I will have everything this world has to offer," the voice in his mask said. _"I've got you now Mayor Red."_

**A/N: well here is my next chapter. Sorry about the wait, I've been busy with work and not getting enough sleep has been harsh on me, but I assure you this story won't ever go on hiatus no matter how long it takes me to update. Anyway for those of you who guessed who Able is great job. I really got some wild guesses there. Mayor Red's plan has been outlined but Gohan already has a plan in action to stop him. I revealed Bulma to Erasa and Videl early on which will be important later on in the story. Videl is back to her old self although a bit more appreciative for having a friend like Gohan, but she still has some suspicion about him being close to Saiyaman somehow and of course she knows he's hiding things considering what Bulma said and the fact he knew Bulma in the first place. Well guess I don't have much else to say so enjoy and review. And I'd like to say thank you to **_**DarkVoid116**_** for being so patient about this chapter's release.**


	20. The Final Trap

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 19: The Final Trap**_

**[Police Headquarters; Monday Afternoon]**

After collecting the evidence he needed, it came time for laying out the trap. Gohan and Bulma worked for a few days to complete the equipment he would need. On Monday, Saiyaman approached Videl with his plan, but for that they would need the Police Chief's help.

Videl and the Police Chief where listening intently to the recording. For the two it was easy to tell it was Mayor Red, but there were still doubts. "But there is no way to prove this was Mayor Red. This could have easily been fabricated," the Chief said voicing his doubts.

"Of course but this isn't all the evidence I have. That's why I need you to help me with my plan," Saiyaman replied.

"But if you have more evidence we could arrest Mayor Red and let the court handle things," the Chief retorted.

Videl was still listening carefully trying to digest all the information. She had to admit with sufficient evidence an arrest could be made but…

"But if we just go in for the arrest, Red might go on the offensive. We don't want him destroying the town to get his way. That's why I need your help. We isolate them from the public, reveal them, and take them down should they resist."

Both Videl and the Chief thought this over. "He's right, Chief. We can't just go in without a backup plan," Videl said adding her thoughts.

The Chief stroked his thick beard in thought and with a heavy breath he conceded. "So what did you have in mind?"

Saiyaman went on to explain his plan. The further on he went the more the two seemed to like it, plus exposing Red for the crook he is was pretty satisfying. But there was still one thing on Videl's mind. "Okay but what about my…well friend, I guess?"

"Your friend?" Saiyaman questioned.

"Yes my friend Ronnie. He is Mayor Red's son. I don't think he knows what his father has been up to. He's kind of a creep, but I don't think he's a bad guy."

Gohan contemplated this for a moment. Ronnie had been helping with his father's campaign, but there is no evidence suggesting he was involved with any of this. "Alright, then I'll leave revealing the truth to your friend to you."

"Right," Videl confirmed. She wasn't going to let Ronnie find out about his father like everyone else. She was sure there was a good guy in Ronnie but he just needed some good friends.

* * *

><p><strong>[Outskirts of the City, Warehouse District; Saturday Evening]<strong>

Bulma, Gohan, Videl, and the Police Force had been working hard for nearly a week to prepare for the final trap that would expose Mayor Red. The invitation for this meeting had been sent a few days prior, to lure in Mayor Red. They sent him a copy of the tape of him talking about his plan and Videl really wanted to see his face when he listened to it.

The police were all in hiding a safe distance away, as Gohan was floating in between four buildings forming a square plaza below him. The buildings had several large screens used for billboards on the roofs. Towards the city side of the square was a stage, which Gohan was looking down upon.

Videl was hiding in an alley way between the buildings, facing the stage. But she had company. Ronnie was standing right behind her. When Videl approached him with her claim, he became quite furious. But she managed to convince him she had proof and opted to let him come along. Ever since that day Ronnie has been very quiet and tried to avoid her. Finding out your father was a crook must have been tough.

Everyone's eyes were glued on the stage when a car was heard coming to a stop behind the building with the stage. Time seemed to stop as they waited for Mayor Red's arrival. Finally he came around the corner of the building and made his way onto the stage presented to him.

Suddenly bright lights came from the buildings, illuminating the square. "Ah, Mayor Red, so nice of you to join me," Saiyaman said from above.

Gohan could make out Able standing next to Mayor Red, both staring up at him. "Alright we came, so what now?"

Pulling out a small remote from his belt, Gohan smirked down at Mayor Red. "Right," he started saying while pressing a button on the remote. A small red light was shining on the remote. "Now comes this," he finished saying while hitting a few more buttons.

The screens on the buildings sprang to life as the image of Mayor Red sitting in his office with Able standing right behind him was seen. The speakers near the base of the screens crackled as Mayor Red's voice met with the ears of anyone listening. The Video played out showing Red's monologue about his plan of taking over the world. The whole speech ending with, "I will use my political standing to further work my way into the government. Using my Red Flag Defense Squad I will make Hercule Satan's influence worthless. I will increase their standing until there is an R.F.D.S in every city across the planet. And when I become more influential than King Furry himself I will have these misguided puppets demand that I become the new King of Earth. Of course, I will also be running all the crime in the shadows; giving me control of the political world and underworld. Influence, power, money; I will have everything this world has to offer."

Gohan had Bulma install a small camera into his mask to get visual proof. Mayor Red's anger was clearly visible as he scowled at the young superhero. "So you had video too huh? So what? I'll just say it's a forgery and finish you off once and for all."

Gohan's smirk widened. Gohan had already planned for this. Gohan wasn't use to dealing with regular weak humans and doing things lawfully. It's always been crazy alien invaders, androids, or something unbelievable that he and his friends would have to kill without anyone ever knowing.

Now was the time to put an end to this. He's made some mistakes dealing with this, but now he could just be Saiyaman and with them isolated at the edge of town he didn't have to worry about the destruction. "I don't think they'd be all that wiling to believe you," Gohan remarked, pressing another button on his remote. This time the screen switched to show what was happening on the stage.

"What?" Mayor Red stared at his own face on screen in anger and confusion.

"Lost?" Saiyaman questioned with a hint of superiority in his speech. "It's simple, say hello to all your misguided puppet viewers."

Shock ran its way across Red's face as he did a double-take staring at all the screens. Gohan had set up Bulma's transmission jammer the night before. This device would override all of Satan City's transmission signals and feed in the video and audio of Mayor Red's confession. _"Now comes the fun part,"_ Gohan thought in anticipation.

"This can't be happening," said Mayor Red. Everywhere across Satan City people stopped what they were doing in shocked silence. The TV's in store windows, radios played audio, big advertisement screens, the E-Net, everything was playing the same thing.

Videl and Ronnie had been watching the whole event quietly. Videl was amazed at the kind of plan Saiyaman came up with. Looking over at Ronnie, she could only see his face masked in the shadow of his hair. It didn't look like he was taking this well. He began taking slow steps forward towards the plaza. Videl grabbed his shoulder in an attempt to stop him but he quickly shrugged her off and kept walking.

"Ronnie I know this is tough on you but we have to stay hidden," Videl tried to persuade him.

"You know? What do you know?" Ronnie replied with silent anger. Quickly turning around on her he shouted, "You ruined everything! You don't know a thing!"

The yelling caught everyone's attention. "So she was involved too? That explains it," Mayor Red said anger ready to spill. Turning to Able he continued, "You should have finished her when you had the chance!"

Able bowed in shame, "I'm sorry, I'll rectify my mistake this instance."

"No," Red retorted sternly, "You have other business to deal with. Ronnie you take care of the girl once and for all! I don't want you defending her anymore."

Ronnie heard his orders and he wasn't pleased. Videl heard too and she couldn't believe it. "You knew this whole time?" she stated more than questioned. "But then why did you come with me and get so angry when I told you?"

Ronnie angrily glared at Videl. Those piercing green eyes they looked so familiar. Then it hit her she could still remember when Saiyaman was thought to have been defeated and when he finally returned.

* * *

><p><strong>[Flashback]<strong>

The man unleashed his attack, aimed directly for Videl. She still couldn't move. In her mind she knew she had to dodge, but her body simply wouldn't listen. At the last moment only one thought came to mind. _"Where are you, Saiyaman?"_ Everyone watched as the sphere of light was about to crash into Videl. She closed her eyes hoping this wouldn't hurt. The sounds of an explosion that everyone expected to hear never came though.

All the bystanders stared in awe and shock. The Fang Agent was frozen in place, as were the other criminals. Videl opened her eyes to see why everything became so silent. Her eyes widened as she saw the figure standing before her. The light from the energy blast was dispersed around him and was quickly fading away.

Tears filled the corners of her eyes, as a smile crept itself upon her lips. "Saiyaman," she said in barely a whisper, hardly believing her eyes.

Hearing his name, he turned to her with a soft, sad smile. "Sorry I'm late."

Gohan quickly turned to the man with a glare. Last time he was caught off-guard. But they have done enough damage to the city and given Videl enough trouble. "No more Mr. Nice-Guy," was Gohan's reply to the man before he vanished from sight.

Videl was shocked; he vanished right before her eyes. _"How does he do that?"_

The Fang Agent was having a similar problem. Looking around, he couldn't find a trace of the superhero. "Over here," he suddenly heard behind him. Quickly turning he found a fist implanted in his gut. Raising both of his hands above his head, Saiyaman delivered a powerful jackhammer to the man's back. The Agent was sent flying into the ground near his criminal allies.

Landing a few feet in front of Videl, he continued to glare in the Fang Agent's direction. Videl was shocked. The overpowering display of speed and strength had her dazed. The Fang Agent stood up out of the ground, covered in dirt. Part of his visor was broken off, revealing a green eye staring at Saiyaman angrily.

**[End Flashback]**

* * *

><p>Videl's eyes grew wide as she put the pieces together. "Y-You…You've been helping your father with the crimes from the beginning weren't you? You tried to kill me!" she yelled angrily.<p>

Ronnie's eyes softened a bit at that. "No I never tried to kill you," he replied.

"Liar, who else could it have been!?" she continued to yell angrily. This jerk was fighting against her this whole time, trying to talk her into quitting her crime fighting, and even trying to get her to join them.

"It was me," said a calm voice standing directly behind her. Saiyaman, who had been watching the development between the two, was shocked. He hadn't sensed him at all. Gohan could sense several small energies around the area, which he assumed were the R.F.D.S, but he could only sense Videl and Ronnie where they had been hiding.

Yet the shock of not sensing him there was only part of it. What really surprised him was what this guy looked like. Videl was even more shocked, right there behind her was Ronnie. She looked back the other direction to find the Ronnie she had been talking to still standing there. As she turned facing this new look-alike, Videl's mind raced out of control. _"Just what is going on here," _was a thought she shared with Gohan.

The Ronnie look-alike began to laugh. "Seeing as you have that stupid look on your face, I'm guessing you're confused. It's simple, I tried to kill you," the teen said with a grin. Pulling out a comb from his back pocket, he combed his hair back making it look slicker like his father's. "Unfortunately my little brother didn't seem too pleased with the idea. He is very determined to make you his, but then you had to go and ruin his plans by getting involved. Oh and my name is Donnie by the way."

Videl was shocked. "So you two are twins?" she questioned still not believing it. Turning to Ronnie she said, "And you were going to help try taking over the world to make me be with you? That's just sick."

Ronnie grits his teeth in anger. "It would have been perfect. We could have ruled the world; you could have been my princess. Why did you have to interfere? Now I have no other choice but to do this by force," Ronnie retorted taking a step forward, his brother doing the same.

Suddenly a shadow shot out from the alleyway and knocked Ronnie's twin in the head with a hard right hook. Videl got a glimpse of the attacker and quickly turned on an unsuspecting Ronnie and delivered a right kick sending him into a heap with his brother. Standing straight, Videl looked over at the blonde hair teen that came to her rescue. "For once I'm actually glad to see you," she said with a light smile.

Sharpner grinned at her, happy to be able to show off a bit. "When are you going to see you can't live without me," he replied in jest.

Before they could continue their conversation Mayor Red called out, "That's it finish this, I'm leaving!"

On cue the R.F.D.S shot out from their various hiding places and powered-up. Able threw off his trench coat and pressed a button on the device on his arm. A sudden light surrounded him and when it vanished he was wearing his Silver Commander Armor. _"Wow, I guess Bulma wasn't the only one with that idea,"_ Gohan thought as he watched Able slowly float up in front of him.

Mayor Red turned to walk off stage but after a few steps, a large fist collided with his face sending him flying into the podium. The screens suddenly displayed Mr. Satan as he took his victory pose minus one hand which was holding a car tire and screamed, "Yeeaahh!"

People watching in Satan City began cheering out loudly throughout the streets. Of course their hero wouldn't let this jerk treat them like puppets. "Mayor Red or should I call you Mr. Red? You will no longer have your way in my city!" the Champ exclaimed, holding the tire above his head. Hercule brought it down over Red's head, leaving his arms restrained. "You will pay for your crimes, you hear me? The Champ won't let criminals like you run his city, yeeaahh!"

Videl was watching the Red Twins get back to their feet, but couldn't help the mortified look that covered her face. _"He hasn't done anything and he's already acting like he's saved the day," _she thought solemnly. "How exactly did you two get here?" she questioned her blonde headed friend.

Sharpner was standing firm in his boxer's stance ready for the twin's attack. "Well funny story…" Sharpner began.

* * *

><p><strong>[Flashback]<strong>

Sharpner was headed home one day after school. All of his friends were busy with their own things. Gohan had to go home because his mother needed him for something, Erasa was babysitting a neighbor's kid, and Videl had some kind of meeting with the Police Chief. _"Man this sucks. I feel like I haven't gotten much attention lately,"_ he thought solemnly as he looked into the sky.

Suddenly a dot appeared and quickly grew larger as it descended towards him. When the dot took the form of a person Sharpner took action by flailing his arms and jumping out of the way. Turning warily from behind his lamppost, he eyed the guy who had come flying out of the sky and quickly recognized him as Saiyaman.

"Hey Saiyafreak, watch where you're landing," Sharpner barked angrily.

Saiyaman looked at him with a playful smile. "Sorry about that, but you are Videl's friend are you not?" Gohan said playing his superhero part.

The blonde teen just blinked curiously at him. "How did you know that?"

Gohan began sweating in distress. Sharpner wasn't the brightest crayon, but he wasn't stupid. Guess you could say he had street smarts. "Well I have my ways of gathering information and I needed your help with something," Gohan replied hoping to sound convincing.

Sharpner seemed to buy it when he lit up in joy. "So the superhero Saiyaman has come to the Great Sharpner for help? Alright, what can I help you with?"

Gohan sweat-dropped, this guy was a piece of work alright. So he went on to explain to his blonde unaware friend of what has been going on and how he and Videl are planning on stopping Mayor Red.

**[End Flashback]**

* * *

><p>"So he asked me to convince your dad to come here tonight to help fight," Sharpner said, finishing his story.<p>

"Oh," was all Videl could say. _"So Saiyaman wanted Father here to help? It's true if those two worked together they could win this no problem."_

"I think it's time we stopped playing little brother," Donnie said dangerously eying Sharpner, causing the blonde teen to gulp.

"Just go help Silver, I'll handle these three," Ronnie retorted.

Hercule wasn't sure exactly what was going on when he came, but after what he saw he knew Mr. Red was only trying to hurt people. He may not be the most honest person in the world, but he would never hurt innocent people. This Saiyaman guy worried him though. He looked just like the boy who fought cell. Putting those thoughts aside, the Champ made his way off the stage and to his daughter and her friend.

Donnie smiled as he pressed the button on his device and his clothes were replaced with his _Ki_ Armor. The four fighters were shocked to see him wearing the Black Captain armor. But seeing as the captains were the only ones not present, Gohan could easily figure out who the remaining R.F. Captain is.

As his twin rose into the air to prepare for a standoff against Saiyaman, Ronnie followed his brother's lead and also activated his Red Captain armor. Videl, who was more experienced with these Ki Manipulating Armors, knew this wouldn't be easy. Hell she just hoped her father would display some of his legendary strength.

The R.F.D.S was slightly surprised when Saiyaman moved next to Videl and the other two at super speed. He startled Hercule when he placed a hand on his shoulder, but Hercule's surprise only increased when he began feeling strange. "I hope you guys can deal with one or two that come your way," Saiyaman said casually.

He floated over to Videl and Sharpner who were still eying Ronnie. "Here's a little something that might help," Saiyaman said placing a hand on each of their shoulders. The sudden rush of energy and strength didn't go unnoticed by the two. Hercule also noticed the two teens tense up suddenly. _"He must have done to them what he did to me. It feels like my body is flooding with power," _Hercule thought, trying to make sense of things.

"What did you just do to us?" Videl questioned, awed by this new sensation she was feeling. Sharpner was just silently staring at his hands, but nodded his head in agreement.

Saiyaman chuckled, "I just shared a bit of my power with you, but only what you could handle. You probably won't feel so hot tomorrow."

With his explanation done, he flew back into the sky and took his position in front of the R.F.D.S. Able had been watching and noticed the power increase of the three on his scouter. It wasn't too significant but he wasn't going to chance another defeat. "Pink go down and act as Captain Red's support, just in case," he ordered.

"Yes sir," she replied before descending. Gohan watched her and contemplated taking action. _"They should be able to handle themselves for a while. Right now I need to focus on Able and the rest of the R.D.F.S,"_ Gohan thought.

"Well it looks like it is time to put an end to this," Saiyaman said confidently, getting into his stance. Now there were only a few more obstacles to deal with before this would be all over. To Gohan this was just like a game of chess. He'd need brain over brawn, luckily Gohan already knew his opponents next move and he was ready to counter it.

The Silver Commander didn't hesitate for a moment. As he shouted, "Destroy him!" he began to power-up. The Black Captain following suit. The rest of the R.F.D.S attacked without question. Gohan began dodging and blocking his enemies assault to gage their strength. This was the first time he faced off against the R.F.D.S and their advanced _Ki_ Manipulation Gear.

He had to admit their power levels were amazing, especially for people who haven't train to use _Ki_, and to reduce the side effects on the body by creating an external energy system; the scientist who created this technology is certainly incredible. This guy made slightly above average humans into warriors capable of facing off against someone like Dodoria or Zarbon. Barely avoiding a punch from the Yellow Soldier, Gohan put his focus back on his fight. The scientist will be dealt with later for now he should focus on his opponents.

The Silver Commander and Black Captain finally finished powering-up and were ready to fight. Gohan was impressed with their power, it was all fake power, but power none the less. Those two were almost as strong as Recoome. The only thing he found odd was the others seemed to be growing stronger as they fought. _"Oh well, not much use thinking about this now. I need to finish this and help the others. It's time to push them to make their power play."_

* * *

><p><strong>[At The Same Time]<strong>

Videl, Sharpner, and Hercule were facing off against the Red Captain and Pink Soldier. "How could you help do all this and still expect me to like you?" Videl questioned. She couldn't wrap her mind around it. How could a child be so twisted to make them think that would work?

"I wasn't serious about all this until you rejected me. But if my family rules the world then I can have anything, even you," Ronnie replied with a soft smile.

Videl couldn't help but think his soft smile while talking about world domination was a little bit creepy. This guy couldn't handle rejection. "So how come we've never heard anything about this twin brother of yours?" she asked, letting her curious side take the best of her.

Ronnie began chuckling at this, and then completely burst out in a maniacal laughter. His laughter resonated against the nearby walls. Calming down from his cackling, Ronnie eyed Videl. His eyes were dark, slightly shadowed by his hair, and the piercing insanity that could be seen was oddly out of place for the teen they knew. "Funny thing is you've already hung out with him on several occasions. We swapped places in school under the same name to help father with his work. I was the one mostly flirting with you; he was the one being a jerk. For instance he was the one who met your new nerd friend Gohan first and I was the one who asked you out."

Videl and Sharpner couldn't believe it. Sharpner could tell there were days Ronnie would be all about Videl and others he became more of a jerk, but he would have never guessed they were completely different people. Videl was having similar thoughts.

"Now enough talking, it's time to fight," Ronnie said. Turning to the Pink Soldier he added, "Pink you take those two idiots. Once I deal with Videl I'll give you a hand."

Pink nodded getting bored of listening to their TV drama. She faced her opponents, eager to fight. "Well aren't I lucky. I get two tough boys to play with," she purred in an alluring manner.

Sharpner still wasn't sure how he got roped up into all of this but he was pumped. "Alright Pinky, let's play," he retorted in his own charming manner.

Pink wasted no time and rushed the teen. She could finish him off but what's wrong with playing with your pray a little before devouring it. She started off with a light jab which Sharpner dodged easily. She followed with a kick to his right side which he blocked with his left leg by raising his knee to his chest. Sharpner took the moment they both needed to recover their balance to back off and gain some space.

"Not bad boy," Pink said getting back into her stance.

Hercule was looking back and forth between the two fighting and his daughter having a staring contest with this boy who is trying to date her. But Videl quickly put a stop to his dilemma. "Dad, go help Sharpner then come back to help me," she ordered more than said.

Hercule looked at his daughter surprised for a moment but decided to do as she said. Turning to go help her blonde headed girly friend Hercule thought, _"I'll just take care of this woman real quick and help my daughter with that punk. No boy dates my daughter without my permission."_

"Now that just leaves you and me," Videl growled dangerously. She still couldn't believe she actually thought of this creep as a kind of friend. Maybe if his father didn't brainwash him into being a psychopath then he could have been a good guy.

Ronnie smirked at this, but that smirk disappeared behind his helmet that suddenly formed around his head. "Alright girl, let's have some fun."

Videl really hated when he called her 'girl'. With a start she lunged at him and delivered a powerful right kick aimed with for his head. Videl was amazed at the power she could feel coursing through her and it only seemed to increase. Unfortunately Ronnie barely managed to block the kick with his left arm. He too was amazed at the power she was displaying. If he wasn't careful he might end up letting her get a good shot in.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Saiyaman]<strong>

Gohan was handling his opponents fairly but as he thought, their power was increasing. He also had to admit their technique was pretty good and as always their team work was on point. All this had to be General Blue's work. Bulma had told him all about her encounter with the strange man. He fought on equal terms with Goku before he was overpowered, although his most dangerous weapon is his Telekinesis. Both Gohan and Bulma reasoned his use of the visor was to greatly amplify his ability.

So now he had to fight while avoiding his eyes. Gohan just wished they would hurry up already. Luckily he got his wish.

"Alright enough play time, let's shut Saiyaman down," ordered the Black Captain. The Silver Commander took his distance, he had a sneaking suspicion that this plan would fail.

Gohan noticed the R.F.D.S surround him. "This is it guys, your turn," he said into the communicator in his mask.

* * *

><p><strong>[Outside of the PlazaBattlefield]**

"Roger that," replied the Chief before turning to his men. "Alright men you heard him. Cage Team, be ready to deploy. Surveillance, keep an eye out for our targets. Strike Team, be ready to move in on my word," he ordered like the professional he was.

The Police Force quickly got to work to prepare for their part. Near each of the four buildings surrounding the plaza was a team waiting near a coffee table sized machine. Two pairs of eyes concentrated on the skies through binoculars. All throughout the area surrounding the plaza were groups of police force ready to strike.

The Chief looked in the direction of Saiyaman, _"Well everything is ready on our end. Hopefully this plan works out."_

* * *

><p><strong>[Back with Saiyaman]<strong>

Gohan didn't have to wait long before the Red Flag made their move. From behind the Red Soldier he could already see the incoming red wire like energy that would try to zap his energy, but not this time. The Police Force saw the red wires and activated the machine they were standing by. The red wires raced right in between the Red Flag Soldiers aimed right for Saiyaman.

"_Make your move Saiyaman. When you try to slip out like last time, I'll catch you," _Thought Donnie as he waited for the opportune moment. Alas Saiyaman never moved a muscle, as a bright white light shot out of the machines the police were using. The light flew up in an arc and met right above the square. When the four lines connected, their light spread into a dome shape. Then any of the red wire inside of the dome was severed and the red light scattered into nothing right before reaching Saiyaman.

Once the dome was up the police was hard at work. The Surveillance Team gave the Strike Team the positions of where the red light came from so they could charge in to catch the crooks working for Former Mayor Red. Saiyaman suggested they would have some small time criminals ready to launch those machines and gave the duty of capturing them to the police.

Donnie on the other hand was displeased. He knew Saiyaman could get out of this but he thought it would take enough effort to distract him long enough to attack. But this is… "Bullshit!" Donnie shouted in anger.

Saiyaman glanced over at the twin a small smirk on his lips. "Sorry, but I'm tired of old tricks. Can't you come up with something new?"

Donnie calmed himself down; he knew he would definitely lose if he let his anger take control. "I see you've really come prepared. But that won't be enough. We still have more tricks up our sleeve."

This made Gohan curious. He knew he had to avoid Able's visor, but now there was more. How he wished he could do things the old fashioned way. Maybe being a superhero isn't always a good thing.

"Well said Black Captain. We can finally put these suits to the ultimate test. Once we defeat the Satan Girl, Saiyabrat, and Mr. Satan then we can easily handle anything that comes our way," Able said taking an offensive stance.

"Well at least try to make this fun for me," Gohan retorted with a mocking grin. When no innocent lives were at stake, Gohan could really enjoy himself. _"Alright let's start by having them show me any tricks they have hidden."_

The fighting broke out in a flash as the Yellow Soldier and Black Captain vanished and reappeared, mid-attack, on either side of Saiyaman. The other Red Flag Agents were quick to move in for back up. Fists and feet went flying everywhere as the onslaught began. The Silver Commander was the only one to stay out of it; choosing to observe for now.

Down below Pink was trading blows with Sharpner and Hercule. She couldn't figure out how but they were putting her on the defensive. Sharpner was giving it his all while keeping Saiyaman's advice in mind. He told him to keep pressing them before they get a chance to power-up anymore and if he was lucky they would lower their power levels before fighting thinking weaker opponents would be easy. Sharpner didn't like the idea of being considered a weaker opponent, but the advice was really on point. Plus the power he felt rushing through his body made him feel invincible. He just wondered why Hercule wasn't ending this now.

Ronnie was enjoying himself with Videl. Her fighting was amazing; he wouldn't be a match for her if it weren't for the suit. Maybe his brother was right and he should have trained his martial arts more often. This is why he liked her. She was strong, not afraid of anybody; she was the perfect queen for him. If only she understood.

As the fighting picked up the pace a lone figure in the sky was staring down at the plaza with his piercingly sharp glare. His arms crossed in front of his chest and cape billowing in the wind. "Just like his father. Strong but unwilling to do what's necessary. Humans already go around killing each other, why is he trying to be so…lawful?" the Namekian said. No matter how much he observed them he could never understand these Earthlings.

**A/N: Hey readers, here is another chapter for you. The big build up to the finale. Saiyaman, Videl, and the Police put Gohan's plan into action. Satan City is taught a lesson about blindly following what anybody says. And a big reveal on Ronnie. Which I know I didn't leave much of a real clue, besides one day Ronnie is hitting on Videl and others he just hates Gohan, and the mysterious person who talked to Ronnie from the shadows and the one handling Ronnie on the Videl issue, but that was the point this one had to come out of nowhere. But anyone who connected Ronnie with the Snake Helmet Black Fang Agent would have wondered why Ronnie would try to kill Videl. So there were very vague signs. So yeah Ronnie is a little bit cracked when it comes to something he wants. Anyway before anyone goes off on how strong the R.F.D.S is and why Gohan isn't thrashing them or why Videl, Sharpner and Hercule can fight them with a small power-up from Gohan. The R.F.D.S are using a suit that allows them to use their energy as well as boosting it as well as introducing power from the suit itself, but still all that energy is not good for a body or for someone to be using if they are inexperienced. Gohan could just power-up and blow them off the face of the earth, but how will that make him look. People would be scared that Saiyaman will blow them off the face of the earth when they do something else; he's trying to be a superhero not a boogeyman to keep little kids from being bad. And their suits have some protection against attacks so knocking them out isn't too easy. And the other two are just playing with Videl, Sharpner, and Hercule. Gohan's boost gave them much more power, but they don't know how to use it properly and Gohan did mention they wouldn't feel good after because although they haven't noticed yet there's a strain on how much energy they can hold. Anyway, Bulma's invention that was hinted towards earlier has finally been put to use. Next chapter will finish things up with some action. So read and review. **


	21. Counter Attack

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 20: Counter Attack**_

**[Outside the Dome]**

The Police were busy maintaining the Dome and handling the leftover crooks. The Chief stood by his police cruiser looking at the bright bubble before him. If he could put up any kind of fight he would be in there to help. Right now he can't even get into radio contact with them to ask if they needed backup. This dome of light cut out any signals and electronics from the outside; essentially isolating the area. No one will know what happened inside until it's over.

"Good luck, we leave things in your hands Videl, Saiyaman," the Chief said with a salute.

* * *

><p><strong>[Inside the Dome; With Saiyaman]<strong>

Gohan was quickly picking up on the Red Flag Soldier's abilities. Gohan was a little surprised when the Black Soldier grew twice his size in muscle and delivered a power blow to Gohan's chest. Every time Gohan went in to attack or counter the speedy Yellow Soldier and Black Captain would come out of nowhere and distract him long enough for the others to make a move. They certainly had their strategy worked out. But this was only the beginning of Gohan's troubles.

From a distance the Blue Soldier was using some kind of electrically charged _Ki_ blasts to attack him combined with Red Soldier's fire type _Ki_ blasts. Then from time to time the White and Green Soldier's would swoop in; White trying to freeze him in ice and Green trying to cover him with some kind of, what he assumed to be, corrosive acid.

Gohan figured they might have a trick up their sleeve but this was a little much. _"Well this is fun. Now where do I start?"_ Gohan thought, while coming up with his next strategy.

* * *

><p><strong>[With the Others]<strong>

Hercule and Sharpner were pressing the Pink Soldier with their continuous assault. Pink was getting angry that she couldn't get time to power-up. She jumped back and fired a _Ki_ beam towards the two. Sharpner, not too graciously, rolled under the beam while Hercule weaved to his left. The beam continued until it met with a concrete wall which resulted in an explosion; effectively turning the wall to rubble. Hercule had sweat running down his face; all he could think about was how his afro almost got roasted.

Sharpner finished his roll right in front of the Pink Soldier and launched himself up, delivering a powerful uppercut to the woman's chin. As Pink went flying onto her back, Sharpner resumed his boxer's stance while bouncing back and forth on his feet. "Well you're not so tough," he said getting cocky.

Pink was getting back to her feet and, although no one could see it, she was glaring angrily at Sharpner. Before she could even think to make a move; a large shadow covered her from behind. Jumping to her right she rolled, barely avoiding the jackhammer that came down on her, and sprung back up into a fighting position; just in time since Hercule's fist was barreling at her head. She managed to duck under it but Hercule followed with a knee, which she barely managed to block. _"What's with this guy? All of the sudden he became so strong and skilled. Has he been holding back?"_ Pink thought trying to figure out how Hercule changed so much.

Hercule continued to glare angrily at the Pink Soldier before bursting with rage. "How dare you almost burn my precious afro?! Don't you realize it's a national symbol?!" he exclaimed angrily, nearly causing Pink to fall head over heels in disbelief.

"Yeah, you tell her Mr. Satan. You da man!" Sharpner added cheering on one of his greatest idols. To which Hercule responded with a strong pose with his fists on his hips and chest puffed out.

"_Okay, I take it back. I don't want to deal with these morons,"_ Pink thought glumly.

Not too far off, Videl and Ronnie continued their fight. Both trading blows, neither giving an inch. Saiyaman had also given Videl the advice about keeping them too busy to power-up. So far it has been going well, but she couldn't help shake the feeling Ronnie was still just toying with her. The idea of being treated like a play thing was pissing her off to no end.

Ronnie just dodged another one of her punches and created some space between them. He could tell Videl was getting upset and it was great to have this kind of control over her. He watched curiously when Videl stopped her advances. "Oh, tired already? That's no good I was enjoying you chasing me around for once," Ronnie said trying to get under her skin.

It worked. Videl grit her teeth and bent her arms at her sides. This was so annoying. She knew she could beat Ronnie normally, but that stupid suit just got in the way. Why was it that all her hard work to become stronger was now useless? She couldn't really be of any help to Saiyaman. "That's enough," she started saying silently.

"Hmm? What was that?" Ronnie replied mockingly placing a hand near his ear.

Bending her knees Videl shouted, "I said that's enough!" while pink light sprang forth from her body. The ground cracked beneath her feet and rushed wildly around her.

Ronnie watched in awe as Videl powered-up. She couldn't do this before, why now? As if noticing his shocked expression, Videl looked down at her glowing hands. _"What is this?" _she thought to herself, _"I…I think I felt something like this before. No, this is far more intense."_

Videl didn't waste a moment. She wasn't sure how she did it, but she wasn't going to waste this power. Charging in, she resumed her assault on Ronnie, this time fairing much better.

Sharpner and Hercule caught a glimpse of Videl's power-up before dragging Pink back into the fight; both wishing they could do the same thing Videl did. Right now anything could help.

Videl continued trading blows with Ronnie and this time he wasn't dodging everything. Though she could tell she'd need to pull off something big to actually beat him. Ronnie went for a trip attack to knock her off her feet, but she quickly dodged it. Ronnie took this opportunity to quickly bend his arms and legs to power-up. Videl noticed this and dashed in to prevent it, but she was too late. As she got into reaching distance she was nearly blown off her feet by the power that swelled around Ronnie. The red hue of his aura expands; slowly pushing Videl back, before suddenly throwing her on her butt.

Videl got back to her feet and used her arms to block the wind pushing her. "Crap, this isn't good," Videl admitted.

Slowly the wind died down and the aura around Ronnie stabilized. "Okay, we've had enough play time," Ronnie said.

He suddenly charged her. Videl put up her defense, but by the time it was up his fist smashed right through her arms as if they weren't even there. The fist caught her in the cheek and sent her flying back. She managed to get back to her feet, but now everything was a bit fuzzy. One more good hit like that and it could be lights out. Ronnie didn't care much for giving her time to breath. As far as he was concerned, the faster he put her to sleep and finished off the other three the sooner he would have his princess.

Everyone was too busy with their own fights to notice how Videl's was going. Ronnie was getting angry at this stubborn girl. _"Why won't she just stay down,"_ he thought as he watched her climb back to her feet for the fourth time. Ronnie didn't want to kill or seriously maim her but every time he gave her a good blow she would get back up. How was he supposed to get her out of the way like this? "Fine one broken bone won't be too bad," Ronnie said aloud to himself before jumping straight at her.

Videl saw him coming and threw a punch. Though, her attack was countered when he grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground, then with a twist a loud snap could be heard. Videl's eyes bulged in surprise or pain, perhaps both, as a deafening scream escaped her lips.

* * *

><p><strong>[Back with Saiyaman]<strong>

High above the square, Gohan continued to fend off his attackers. He had gotten a few good hits in but not enough to take any of them down. If he was going to end this with as little damage as possible he needed a plan and quick, but his thoughts were cut short by the shrill scream below. The Red Flag guys were also distracted, as everyone's eyes found their way to the ground below. On the ground Sharpner, Hercule, and Pink were also looking in the direction of the scream.

All eyes landed on Videl writhing on the ground clutching her right arm with Ronnie standing over her.

"Videl!" shouted Hercule in fear and rage. How dare this bastard harm his little girl? But before he could make his way over to her, Pink blocked his path.

"Sorry but you're still not done playing with me," she said cheekily.

Without hesitation Sharpner and Hercule went back on the attack. As soon as they finished this they could help Videl. Up above Gohan was having a similar problem. He wanted to help Videl, but that would leave him open for a mass assault. If only he could catch a little slack from these guys he could try to get rid of Pink and have Sharpner and Hercule go help her. _"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to get those three involved,"_ Gohan thought as he watched the Red Flag Soldiers surround him, preparing for another attack.

Just as Black and Yellow were about to move in for a combination attack, several _Ki_ blasts came raining out of the sky; hitting several of the Red Flag Soldiers. Many confused and angered comments could be heard coming from the group. Only the Silver Commander and Black Captain managed to dodge the attack. Gohan sensed a familiar energy, but something was odd about it. Not letting himself get distracted, he quickly took the opportunity to make his move.

Dashing for the Yellow Soldier, he gave her a rather harsh blow to the gut before sending her flying towards the ground with a **Kiai**. Gohan's aim was perfect as Yellow crashed into his intended target.

On the ground unaware of what was coming their way, Sharpner, Hercule, and Pink continued their fight. Just as Pink managed to push the two back a shadow from above clouded her. Looking up she came face to…well rear when Yellow's butt came crashing into her. Hercule and Sharpner were stunned at what had just happened and looking up into the sky they could see Saiyaman prepare an energy blast. Both decided better safe than sorry and took off running away from the two women pileup.

Gohan was holding his palm out aimed for the Pink and Yellow Soldiers, trying to put just the right amount of energy into his blast. Before he could decide if his blast was adequate, a blast shot out from behind him. The blast made contact with the two women and exploded. After the explosion settled Gohan could see a smoldering heap of the two unconscious women. Letting his _Ki_ fade he turned around to his somewhat new ally.

"Piccolo, you can't just blow them up so casually. What if that had killed them?" Gohan scolded his old mentor.

"Don't worry, I didn't kill them. You are just lacking in training that's why you have trouble controlling your power," Piccolo retorted in his calm wise tone. "You are afraid to hurt them so you make mistakes and let these weaklings beat you."

Gohan hung his head low in shame. If anyone could tell what Gohan's issue was then it would be Piccolo. "Yeah I know. I'll try training more," Gohan conceded defeat. "By the way, why does it feel like lately your energy feels different every time I see you?"

Piccolo grinned at his pupils words while watching the R.F.D.S recover from his sudden assault. "Results of my training, but I'll have to tell you about that some other time. So should I give you a hand since you're so hesitant?"

Gohan straightened up while staring down the R.F.D.S. Taking a quick glance below him he could see Hercule and Sharpner making their way for Videl. Hopefully they could hold off against Ronnie a bit longer. "Sure, thanks Piccolo," Gohan replied with gratitude. If anyone could help without causing more trouble it was Piccolo.

Piccolo's smirk widened in anticipation. He unfolded his arms, bringing them down to his sides. "Then I'll deal with red, blue, and black. You take the other three and go help your friends," Piccolo ordered, the feeling of them fighting together again being very nostalgic.

"Heh heh, It's been a while, huh Piccolo? Let's do it," Gohan replied before launching himself directly for the Silver Commander.

The Black Captain saw Saiyaman advance and wasn't going to let him. _"Just because some friend of his showed up, he thinks he can win? I'll show him,"_ Donnie thought as he prepared to punch at Saiyaman. But he was stopped by a hand grabbing his shoulder. Looking back at the green hand he realized the arm it was attached to was stretching eight feet to the green man's body. "Oh no you don't you're mine," Piccolo said with a menacing tone before retracting his arm, dragging Donnie with it and throwing him into one of the buildings walls.

Gohan managed to push right past the Red, Blue, and Black Soldiers to reach his target. With a mighty kick he sent the unprepared Silver Commander into the opposite wall that Donnie went flying into. The Green and White Soldiers turned their heads back from the hole their commander's body just created to face Saiyaman. "You'll pay for that," Said the Green Soldier.

Green held out his hand as it started oozing green liquid. With a quick jerk of his arm, he sent three small balls of green liquid flying towards Saiyaman.

"Whoa!" Gohan exclaimed as he avoided each ball. "That stuff is dangerous."

The smile on Gohan's face suddenly vanished when he became serious. Dashing back he just managed to avoid White as he came down from above; hand stretched out. With a start both Soldiers were on Saiyaman throwing out any combination in their arsenal.

On Piccolo's end he was having an easier time of things. It would seem his opponents were testing him, so dodging the bulky Black's attacks was quite simple. _"Humph, these fools are looking down on me. Guess I'll have to show them what their dealing with," _Piccolo thought in amusement. With a quick knee to the stomach Piccolo halted the Black Soldier long enough to grab some distance.

The Black Soldier grunted as he stood straight. "You squirmy little worm. Just wait until I catch you," Black grunted out angrily.

Piccolo stared at him with a bored expression. "What you're doing is nothing special," He stated simply with his arms crossed in front of him. He uncrossed them with a grunt, bringing his bent arms to his sides; he suddenly bulked up and grew nearly twice his size.

The Soldiers looked on in shock and fear as they backed off slightly. Donnie was observing from his hole in the wall, surprised at these guys' abilities. First Saiyaman, now this guy, just how many of these guys can control their _Ki_ like this without the use of technology?

Without another word Piccolo rushed Black. The two traded blows for a moment but in reality Piccolo was the only one getting any hits in. Black jumped back to gain some distance to breath, but Piccolo quickly followed and used his eye lasers to pierce through Black's left shoulder. The weakened soldier was then easily picked up by his throat. Piccolo held the man with his right hand at arm's length, glaring darkly at him.

"I'm not as kind as my friend. I won't kill you, but who's to say you won't be spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair," he said threateningly; he had Black nearly crying in his helmet. Placing his free hand against the man's chest he gathered _Ki_ into his palm. Launching it, he let go of his opponent's neck; letting him fly along with the energy blast. After it exploded in mid-air the unconscious body of the Black Soldier crashed to the ground below. That's one down, but hopefully Piccolo didn't over do it.

Facing the other two Soldiers, Piccolo sent them a glare, making Red back up in fear and Blue get into his stance. These two would prove to be more dangerous. Doing this Gohan's way was certainly the right thing to do, but that didn't mean he liked it. _"I really don't like dealing with humans," _Piccolo thought.

* * *

><p><strong>[With the Others]<strong>

As the fighting above ensued; Sharpner and Hercule reached Videl. She had finally overcome the pain of her broken arm. She was currently on one knee, left hand clutching her right shoulder, and seething through her teeth.

"Sweetpea, are you alright?!" Hercule loudly questioned as he made it to her side.

"Videl!" Sharpner also called as he came up behind Hercule.

Videl winced as pain shot through her arm. "I'll be fine. Dad can't you do something you're supposed to be the strongest in the world right?"

Hercule's face contorted into one of fear as sweat poured down it. Luckily Videl and Sharpner had their eyes trained on Ronnie. "Well I'd like to, but if I unleash my power I could destroy half this city," He said trying to sound confident while striking a pose.

"Oh just great," Videl said really losing hope in their situation. Ronnie has already powered-up far beyond what they could handle.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright. We can handle this punk," Hercule said trying to keep their hopes up.

Sharpner was standing in his stance as he slid a bit closer to Videl. If this creep attacked Videl again he would give him his best punch. "So what now?"

Taking her working hand away from her shoulder, she bent it at her side; getting into a sloppy stance. "We try to hold him off until Saiyaman finishes," she replied, her face contorted with angst. She wasn't sure how well this would end, considering she had a broken arm.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Gohan]<strong>

Gohan was dodging his opponents waiting for the right moment to make his move. As the Green Soldier charged in from in front of him and the White Soldier from slightly above, Gohan took a defensive stance ready to counter. Green came in from the left with a straight right, while White attacked with a left hook coming in from the right. Gohan timed it perfectly as he dashed to the right while ducking under the hook, and sending a small **Kiai** at White's arm. The attack was redirected at Green's left shoulder; effectively trapping half his arm and chest in ice.

Vanishing, Gohan appeared behind the two and threw two small _Ki _blasts. White reacted and jumped out of the way, but Green who had been distracted by the ice couldn't dodge in time. Both spheres crashed into him; the resulting explosion knocked him back and broke the ice. Regrettably it didn't help. Before he could recover, Saiyaman was looming over him and with a powerful kick sent Green drilling into the ground below.

"Well that's another one down," Gohan said to himself, hoping he didn't go over bored with that last kick. His thoughts were cut off when he sensed a mass of energy coming right for him. Dodging to the left, he watched a large blast collide with a building wall; expanding on impact and creating a small crater on the ground and on the building.

Turning around he could see Able with his arm cannon raised towards him. Gohan's eyebrows furrowed as he watched his opponent closely. _"That was dangerous. That blast was very concentrated; it disintegrated everything it touched,"_ he thought.

"Good reflexes as always," Able praised. "But we are just getting started as well."

Gohan smirked confidently. "You still have no idea what you are up against. There is no way to do this without hurting you anymore, so just give up now before it's too late," Gohan responded seriously.

"You won't say that for long," Able retorted confidently.

Suddenly a loud piercing noise filled the area. Gohan covered his ears as his vision blurred slightly. The sound was very high-pitched and it rang out continuously. Glancing around Gohan tried to figure out where the sound was coming from, when he noticed piccolo.

"Aaarrrgghh!" exclaimed Piccolo, while clutching his ears and screaming in pain.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Piccolo; Moments Ago]<strong>

Piccolo was getting ready to face-off with Red and Blue, but Red began to back off. Piccolo figured if he was too scared then it would be one less to deal with, but the Black Captain didn't seem to like that very much. Suddenly the Red Soldier bumped into Donnie. Looking down, since Donnie is about a foot shorter, he froze in fear.

Placing his palm against Red's back, Donnie charged an energy sphere; slowly pushing Red forward as it grew bigger. "We don't need cowards in our organization. You have no right to be called Red," the Red twin said coldly, before blasting a hole threw his comrade.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed at the cold blooded display, as Red's body crashed to the ground. _"So young and already killing without hesitation, this one is dangerous."_ The Namekian thought grimly. "For someone who has so little power, you sure like abusing it," Piccolo said coldly.

"Heh, I don't need weaklings to fight with me," Donnie responded. "But I'll show you what I can do with my little power." The front and sides of Donnie's helmet suddenly opened a small pocket with what looked like a speaker inside. Before Piccolo could plan a counter, a piercing high-pitched sound filled the air.

For Piccolo and his superb Namekian hearing, it was torture. Pain shot through his head, his eyes pulsed, and his senses were distorted. Grunting he tried to withstand the sound as his hands covered his ears. Soon the pain overcame him as he screamed out in pain, "Aaarrrgghh!"

Gohan ignored the pain and charged in to help his friend, knowing Piccolo was having it much worse. Their time fighting Lord Slug taught Gohan how sensitive his old mentor is with high frequency sounds like that. Able and White intercepted Gohan as he tried to charge Donnie. They quickly engaged in combat preventing him from giving aid to Piccolo.

The Blue Soldier and Donnie didn't waste their opportunity either. Blue launched a volley of **Lightning Blasts** at Piccolo, trapping him in a cage of lightning, while Donnie threw in his own blasts.

* * *

><p><strong>[With the Others]<strong>

Videl, Sharpner, and Hercule were spread out across the plaza. Ronnie had been tossing them around like rag dolls. Hercule managed a few good hits, but Sharpner's went pretty much unnoticed. Videl had even less luck with her broken arm. Ronnie on the other hand was enjoying his power. Earth's hero couldn't use his full power without endangering the city, the city's crime fighter was putty in his hands, and the school's freshmen jock star was as annoying as a fly.

"_This is great. Videl will be mine. I should have just used force from the beginning,"_ Ronnie thought as he approached Videl lying on the ground. The sudden noise from the sky caught all of their attention. All of them except Ronnie winced at the sharp noise.

Looking into the sky they could see Saiyaman's friend getting pummeled while Saiyaman was kept busy. But their own problems weren't over as Ronnie decided to ignore the fight above and continue his cruel domination of his opponents.

Hercule crouched on one knee as he watched this teen boy get closer and closer to his precious pumpkin. _"How could I be so powerless," _Hercule thought as he clenched his fist. Ronnie took another slow step towards Videl, almost like provoking them to try to stop him. He was now only a few feet away. Mr. Satan couldn't take it anymore. Earth's hero or not, nobody hurt his family. Throwing out his hand at Ronnie he shouted, "Stop right there! Fight me instead!" Ronnie would have ignored the oaf's shouting if it weren't for the scouter in his helmet reacting to the bright light that approached him.

Mr. Satan was shocked when the bright light shot out of his hand and aimed right for the bratty teen. Ronnie just managed to turn his head toward the blast when it made contact, engulfing him in the explosion. Both Videl and Sharpner watched in awe. As the smoke cleared a growling sound emanated from Ronnie. Before he could make a move on Hercule, however, Sharpner struck.

Not wanting to be useless Sharpner went in for an all or nothing knock-out punch. Dashing towards the smoke covered Ronnie, Sharpner brought his fist back. Just as the smoke cleared the blonde headed jock put everything behind his attack. He could feel all his power focus into his right fist. As he unleashed it on an unsuspecting Ronnie, his punch connected with Ronnie's back and a powerful burst of blue energy shot forth; knocking Ronnie of balance.

As Videl watched Ronnie stumble forward from Sharpner's attack. She gathered everything she had for her own attack. Videl used her good arm to push herself into a crouched position. When Ronnie came forward, she spun around in her crouched position as a small aura appeared around her. Stopping her spin she bent forward bring her left leg up behind her. Her one-legged donkey kick hit Ronnie right in the face of his helmet. Jerking his head back and sending it flying with his body following; pieces of his helmet falling to the ground.

The three held their breaths as they watched for any signs of movement from Ronnie, who was now lying on his back.

* * *

><p><strong>[Back with Piccolo]<strong>

Piccolo could hardly think with that piercing noise invading his head. Peeking out of one eye he could barely make out the Black Captain. Gripping his ears, the Namekian quickly tore his ears off his head; the sudden action surprising his two attackers. With the moment of lapse in their attack and the momentary peace of mind, Piccolo fired a powerful _Ki_ wave at Donnie.

Donnie narrowly avoids a majority of the blast, but the right side of his helmet was blown away. The attack even managed to burn the teen's face. Donnie glared at piccolo angrily as the sound was now half as loud as prior to his attack. _"Who would have guessed this crazy bastard would rip off his own ears?"_ Donnie thought with a scowl as he shut off his speakers.

The Black Captain was getting even more annoyed by the smug grin plastered on the green bastard's face. "What the hell are you smiling about?" he questioned angrily.

The ever wise Namekian simply pointed to a space behind the Black Captain. Donnie turned to see what he meant; slightly surprised the man could hear his question. What he saw behind him was a small smoke cloud and a trail leading to the ground. The blue soldier was lying there unmoving with his armor nearly torn off. Piccolo knew the man was still clinging to life, but just barely.

Gohan watched Piccolo's move as he dodged his opponents. As always he was impressed by his mentor's ability in battle. Even though they didn't know it, they used one of piccolo's greatest weaknesses and it hardly put a dent in him. _"I've let this drag on far too long," _Gohan thought. "Time to act like a Saiyan," Gohan said just loud enough for the Silver Commander and White Soldier to hear him.

Suddenly Saiyaman vanished, but Able managed to track his movements over to his green ally. "A Saiyajin?" he asked no one in particular. Noticing Saiyaman regroup with his ally, Donnie also made his way over to his comrades.

"Well what do we do now?" he asked Able.

"Don't worry we already wore them down. Those three on the ground won't last much longer now that they've pissed off your brother, the green one ripped off his own ears and looks like he's about to keel over, now we just have to finish up with our favorite superhero," Able replied confidently; a creepy evil smile adorning his lips.

Unknowingly to them Gohan could hear the whole thing. "Sorry Piccolo, I had no idea they had that kind of weapon."

Piccolo straightened his posture and rubbed his shoulders. "Don't worry about it kid. They did some damage but nothing big," Piccolo finished saying before grunting and a moment later two ears popped out from their original spot. This action surprised the R.F.D.S watching their every move. Gohan chuckled slightly thinking about all the times Piccolo surprised someone with that move.

"Well I'll handle things from here," Gohan said with a grin.

The Namekian Mentor looked over his pupil. With a grin and a nod he said, "So you've decided to get your act together huh? Well good because I was about to end this once and for all."

"And how exactly would you do that?" questioned Able who managed to overhear the end of that conversation.

Piccolo's grin fell from his lips as he turned his attention to the Silver Commander. "Just wait and see, you're about to experience a power like none you've ever imagined," he said grimly before turning to Gohan, "Give 'em hell kid."

Gohan grinned at Piccolo before slowly floating towards his opponents.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Ronnie]<strong>

Videl and company continued watching Ronnie as he lay on the ground. By stealing quick glances up above they could tell their battle was also on a temporary stand still. Suddenly Ronnie's body jerked up into a sitting position; a low growl emanating from him.

"How?" Ronnie asked with a raspy voice, anger evident in his tone. "How could you people hurt me without a suit?"

Videl and Sharpner were at a loss for words, but luckily Hercule never was. "A true fighter gains his abilities through training and hard work. People like you who try to cheat their way to the top will only fail in the end," Hercule's boisterous voice rang out through the plaza. Piccolo couldn't help but roll his eyes at the buffoon.

Ronnie angrily got to his feet. "Cheat? The only things that matter in this world are money, power, and status. Who cares about cheating?!" Ronnie shouted angrily as he charged in. But his sudden assault was halted when the ground beneath his feet began to shake. The tremors caused cracks to run across the ground and walls. Videl watched as dust and debris began floating into the air.

She followed their path until her eyes met the sight of Saiyaman crouched similar to how she was earlier; a low rumbling grunt coming from him. Able and Donnie also watched in awe at the power he was producing; their scouters weren't slowing one bit. Ronnie looked between the three he's been dealing with and Saiyaman. _"They can wait for later. Right now we need to get rid of Saiyadork."_ He thought as he lifted himself into the air.

"Should we just stare or power-up too," Ronnie questioned rather rudely.

"Like we could match that," White said in panic as he started backing off.

Donnie kept his eyes trained on Saiyaman as White bumped into him. The malicious teen didn't waste a moment and disposed of White the same way he did Red. Blood from his comrade trickled onto his cheek as a wicked smile crawled over his lips. "This is gonna be fun," is all he said before powering up; his last two allies following his lead.

Piccolo watched in silence as the four gathered their _Ki_. _"This technology is dangerous in more than one way, but it's quite amazing,"_ Piccolo thought to himself, _"But it won't be enough."_

Videl, Hercule, and Sharpner watched in awed suspense. From what they could tell Saiyaman was gonna take all three on by himself. "Is he going to be alright?" Sharpner questioned.

"I hope so, otherwise we're done for," Videl replied, taking a quick glance at her father. Suddenly she noticed Ronnie and Donnie's auras begin to stabilize.

Ronnie grunted in frustration as he tried to push out more power; Donnie doing the same. Slowly Able's aura also began to stabilize. Unfortunately for them Saiyaman was still going and it didn't look like he would stop any time soon, but suddenly his aura vanished in a flash and Saiyaman stood at his full height; arms at his side. His eyes were sharp and focused, his steely cold features contrasted by his confident grin.

To the Red Flag it was infuriating, but Videl had never seen anything like it. It's like Saiyaman turned into the perfect fighter in an instant. Even Hercule and Sharpner had to admit he looked cool, displaying a silent heroic posture.

With a start the three leaders of the R.F.D.S rushed at Saiyaman. Gohan didn't even flinch as they came in with a barrage of attacks. They began moving at high-speeds and Videl could hardly see what was happening. Yet Piccolo could tell that Gohan was easily avoiding their attacks, but this time he wasn't pressured to be on the defensive. He was waiting for his opportunity.

With swift grace and stunning power, Gohan took his opportunity when it came. Dodging Donnie's fist he slammed his knee into his gut before bringing his elbow down on his back; effectively locking him in place. Ronnie came up from behind and aimed a kick at Saiyaman's head. Gohan simply vanished from sight before reappearing behind Ronnie and kicking him into his brother; sending the flying into another building together.

When Saiyaman turned to face the Silver Commander, Able dashed back to gain his distance. "Ronnie, Donnie, let's go, Triple Web Formation."

Ronnie and Donnie sprang from their hole and went on either side of Saiyaman; which resulted in the three forming a triangle around him. Gohan eyed the three warily, but already had an idea of what they were planning. _"This time I'll just break through with force," _Gohan thought in preparation for their attack.

Suddenly Donnie placed his left hand near his helmet. "**Web of Sound**!" he shouted as the shrill screeching returned. Piccolo covered his ears, but this time it wasn't as bad as the first.

Ronnie followed right after his brother and shouted, "**Web of Energy**!" Ronnie then shot his hands forward as small red wires shot forth from his fingertips and wrapped themselves around Saiyaman.

Able didn't waste a moment as he placed his hands fanned out near his face, similar to the **Solar Flare** technique. "**Web of Mind**!" he shouted as a blue light sprang forth from his visor.

Videl realizing what he was about to do, looked away just in time. Piccolo also heard about this from Gohan and closed his eyes. Gohan however, who was already distracted by the sound aimed directly at him and the webs around his body draining his energy, was caught dead on in the technique.

Piccolo had to admit this combination of attack was very dangerous if used properly. There aren't very many techniques against defending your senses. And trained martial artists usually train their senses to be better, leaving them all the more susceptible. _"What's your move now Gohan?"_ Piccolo questioned himself.

Gohan knew he could have avoided this trap if he really tried and now that he was trapped he had a few ideas of how to get out, but he wanted to end this once and for all. _"I'm going to show them just how powerless they are, so that they'll never try this again,"_ Gohan thought through the pain running through his body now that the three started pummeling him with energy blasts. _"I didn't want to take things this far, but here goes nothing."_

In the smoke and explosions Gohan began unleashing his energy. But this time he unleashed a source of energy that came from his saiyan side. Gold streaks of light began emerging from the cloud of explosions, knocking away a few of their energy blasts. With a loud scream the explosion was pushed way by a bright golden light revealing Saiyaman shrouded in a golden aura, his hair looking sharper and spikier, even more golden.

Videl watched the bright display and knew there was something different. His aura was different, just like the first time she saw him. Videl's body was shaking from a thrill she couldn't explain. _"I want that kind of power," _she thought absent mindedly.

Able knew that there was no chance to win against this guy. Looking down at his cannon arm he opened a small panel. Pressing a few buttons he looked back up at Saiyaman and waited. Ronnie and Donnie were slowly backing up in fear. They threw everything they had at him.

"Now it's time to put an end to this," Gohan said calmly. Suddenly his golden aura vanished along with him. Donnie who still had part of his helmet to track his movement barely caught sight of the powerful uppercut delivered to his brother's gut, before he was sent into the ground by a powerful kick. He knew if his brother didn't have his suit he would have been torn apart by those two simple attacks.

Donnie began laughing like a raving maniac, earning a questioning look from Saiyaman. But the only answer the superhero received was a head on attack as Donnie continued his cackling. Gohan easily avoided the insane teen's assault and could see the madness in Donnie's eyes. He wasn't just driven by becoming the ruler of the world. He was driven by blood; whether it be innocent's, his comrade's, or his own. Gohan knew Donnie could be much more dangerous than he is, but he was not the Judge and Jury. He would make sure he gets arrested and let Satan City handle this.

Just as Gohan was prepared to make his move, Donnie charged all his power into an energy blast aimed right at Saiyaman's mid-section. _"What? At this distance he'll hurt himself," _Gohan thought. But Donnie already unleashed his Kamikaze attack, engulfing both fighters in an explosion. Able watched as Saiyaman dragged Donnie out of the flames before finishing him off with a quick combination of punches, sending him to the earth below unconscious.

Gohan turned to Able with a slight glare. He could sense the steady collection of _Ki_ coming from him. "You're the last one left."

Able chuckled at this. "Yeah and my soldiers are nearly dead. Let me ask you, why didn't you do this before? If you had this much power from the beginning you could have finished us like flies."

"Because I'm here to uphold justice and I can't do that if I kill off the criminals I try to catch, but you guys are pushing my limit," Gohan retorted with a cold tint to his voice. "Now it's my turn. What are you up to?"

Able's smiled widened at this. "Oh just…this!" he shouted as his arm cannon swung forward and released a massive beam of energy. The concentrated energy engulfed Saiyaman instantly and Piccolo barely managed to avoid it. _"Such a massive wave and incredible speed; no wonder it took him so long to charge." _Piccolo thought as he watched the beam crash through the sphere of light and explode somewhere on the outskirts of Satan City, creating a massive crater.

Videl watched with wide eyes for any sign of Saiyaman. Was he completely destroyed? Suddenly her eyes fell on Able as he began laughing; her face contorting to one of anger. "Ha ha ha, that's right. How was that?" Able shouted in glee.

The voice emanating from the trailing smoke abruptly put an end to his laughter. "That wasn't bad at all. If someone I knew could pull off a move like that it would seriously give me trouble," Gohan said slowly and calmly as he floated out of the smoke, hardly a scratch on him.

Able scowled at this, "How?" he started saying as pain shot through his body. "How is it possible?" Slowly able began losing altitude as he got lower to the ground. As he neared it another wave of pain shot through his body causing him to fall limply from the air.

Gohan lowered himself so able could hear him. "I warned you that overuse of that suit would be dangerous. And that last attack of yours went way overboard. I tried limiting how much you overdid things with that suit by keeping my power level down but in the end I couldn't beat you guys without some serious damage being done."

Able eyed Saiyaman closely before shouting, "So you've been holding back in order to keep us from hurting ourselves?!"

He watched as Saiyaman turned away from him. "More or less," was all he said before making his way over to Videl and the others. After the large beam crashed through the bubble, the Chief made his move and ordered his squads to move in. The destruction they found within the plaza was mind blowing.

Videl, Sharpner, and Hercule sat as the police made their way around them; one soldier stopping to inform them that a medical team is on its way. Videl watched Saiyaman approach. Taking a look into the sky she noticed his friend had already left.

"You guys doing alright," Saiyaman questioned as he approached.

Sharpner groaned from his place on the ground. "Everything hurts," he said simply.

Videl rolled her eyes at her blonde friend. At least he had two working arms. "We'll live, that's what matters. You were amazing out there you know, but I'm kinda mad you didn't finish things sooner seeing how you could have," Videl said sending a glare at the superhero.

Saiyaman just chuckled. Even when injured she could be this feisty. "Well here maybe these will help," he said pulling out three senzu beans from the small pocket in his chest plate.

The three eyed the bean curiously. "How's this dried up old bean supposed to help?" Hercule questioned loudly.

Saiyaman smiled kindly before replying, "Just eat it and see."

Videl had seen plenty off crazy things lately so why doubt it now. Taking the small bean into her mouth, she chewed it and swallowed. Sharpner watched curiously while Hercule began panicking, thinking it was some kind of poison. Suddenly Videl could feel her whole body tingle then suddenly it bulged out before returning to normal; all her injuries and pain vanished. She jumped to her feet stretching her recently broken arm with a smile. "Wow that's amazing," she exclaimed with glee.

Sharpner and Hercule looked at each other before taking their own bean. Both were shocked when they received the same results. "Man what are these?" Sharpner questioned checking over his body.

"They're like a miracle cure," Hercule said in almost a whisper. _"I remember something like this…From the Cell Games,"_ Hercule thought quickly looking up at Saiyaman. _"He does look familiar and he would be about this age."_ Suddenly Hercule was overcome by fear. If he was the same guy maybe he's going to call him out. Is that why he made him a part of this plan?

Gohan noticed Hercule's sudden disposition and realized he recognized him from the Cell Games. _"Oh great, I was hoping he wouldn't recognize me."_ "Um, Mr. Satan, could I please have a word with you privately," He asked with his super hero tone, trying to make this sound professional.

Hercule began sweating more as Videl and Sharpner watched the two curiously. "Ah…sure, why not?" Hercule replied hesitantly.

The two moved to an isolated alley where no one could hear them before Hercule couldn't take it anymore and asked. "You're him aren't you? The 'Delivery Boy'?"

Gohan smiled awkwardly at this. He was never fond of the name the media used for him. "Yes, but as you can see I go by Saiyaman now."

"Why?" Hercule questioned abruptly.

"Huh?" was Gohan's only reply. He was a bit confused on what Hercule was asking.

"Why this city? Have you come for your fame? To get revenge against me?" Hercule continued to question growing more fearful of this teen.

Gohan raised his hands in front of him, "Whoa there, calm down. I'm not here for anything like that. I never cared for the credit of beating Cell, I'm just glad he's gone. Although the earth did need a hero after an event like that and you're obviously fitting that role well. I really prefer my peace and quiet."

"Oh…" Hercule said slightly stunned by this boy. Not only did he not care for the credit, he held no grudge against the man who took it. "So…We're good?"

Saiyaman smiled at this and held out his hand. "Yeah we're good, just promise to keep getting stronger and be a proper role model for the people of earth," Gohan replied.

Hercule shook brought forth his own hand and shook Saiyaman's. "You've got a deal," Hercule said with a boisterous laughter.

"Great," Gohan said when he got his own hand back. "Well then I'll be going."

"Wai…t," Hercule tried saying but Saiyaman blasted into the sky before he could finish saying anything.

"Daddy, where did Saiyaman go?" Videl asked as she approached her father. She wanted a chance to talk to Saiyaman, but then she saw him fly off.

"Um…I'm not sure Sweetpea," Hercule answered back.

"Oh great, just wait till I catch you Saiyaman," Videl said stomping off. Sharpner and Hercule just watched slightly wary that her anger might turn on one of them. Now that Mayor Red was exposed and his entire organization was caught, Videl had time to focus on other matters like: discovering the secrets of _Ki_, and exposing Saiyaman, and figure out the enigma that is Gohan.

But first things first, time to clean up. There is no rest for this fiery crime fighter. Hopefully after the defeat of the R.F.D.S crime will decide to take a vacation, so she can have room to train and get stronger. Videl grinned to herself as she helped the police. _"Speaking of vacations, summer is coming up. I'll be able to focus much more time on training,"_ Videl thought in anticipation. The future is still unclear, but one thing is for certain. Our young heroes still have plenty of adventures awaiting them.

**A/N: Sorry about the long delay on this chapter. Work has been crazy averaging 90 hours every two weeks. But here's chapter 21 the end of the Red Flag Saga. After this we'll have a few smaller chapters which will transition this saga to the next. Hopefully this did Gohan some justice for those of you who think im making Gohan too weak. But rest assured after this saga both Gohan and Saiyaman will begin taking on a more confident attitude now that he's getting use to the teenage lifestyle. Just remember until that last moment he wasn't even in his super saiyan form juts had a mask that made him look like he was. Hercule, Videl, and Sharpner also got some good shots in which will lead them to learning more about ki. Some things to look forward to: Gohan's birthday, the anniversary of the Cell Games, and more on Videl's mother. Well hopefully I can get my next chapter out quicker since its going to be a shorter chapter plus I've been looking forward to this next saga. Please read and review and do enjoy.**


	22. Returning To Normal

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 21: Returning to Normal**_

One week had passed since Mayor Red was exposed. Since that time crime had taken a drastic halt. The City Council was quick to reelect Mr. Metro as Mayor and send Mr. Red and his accomplices to court. Videl was glad to hear Mr. Red and his group would be growing old in prison together. As for the too underage criminals, they were sent to a juvenile facility. They were let off light because their rotten behavior is obviously the fault of bad parenting. Videl knew Donnie was never going to change and he had a murderous streak, but Ronnie still had some hope.

Things in school were much better as well. The young crime fighter noticed Erasa and Gohan getting along, which for some reason brought back that strange sensation of jealousy but simply ignored it. Sharpner had been proud of his role in taking out the R.F.D.S, but had been surprisingly casual about it and hasn't mentioned any details. All in all things were getting back to normal. But there was one thing that bugged her still. They haven't located Dr. Stan's Lab. The first few days the cops looked around the mountain area outside of Satan City but found nothing. It was Saiyaman that got them to stop by saying he would personally locate and arrest the Doctor.

This made Videl very suspicious. Why would Saiyaman want to confront the Doctor alone? But Gohan had different things in mind. The technology Dr. Stan created was dangerous and if he was anything like Dr. Gero, this could get ugly.

* * *

><p><strong>[Tuesday Afternoon]<strong>

Gohan was flying over Mt. Paozu near Satan City. He knew the mountain very well but never really explored the area around the city. From the information he got from Able and Mr. Red, the Doctor's Lab must be somewhere near where he was searching. As he flew over another ridge he noticed a small dirt road. Seeing as this was the closest unnatural thing he's come across since he began his search, Gohan followed it up the mountain.

It wasn't long before he spotted a rather small building partially hidden by the tall trees. Making his descent the young Super Hero landed right in front of a large metal double door. The building looked aged which could be seen by the overgrowth of plants clinging to the slowly decaying walls. Small cracks could be seen on the structure as well as a few missing chunks of concrete.

"Well this looks suspicious," Gohan said to himself as he eyed the structure, head tilted slightly and arms crossed. Letting his senses widen he felt for any _Ki_ within the building. His eyes widened when he found a rather large energy emitting from the decrepit lab. "Man this energy is huge, how has nobody noticed this up until now," Gohan said getting a little worried. The mass of energy was making it hard to get any good readings on this place.

But standing outside wouldn't get Gohan anywhere, so he slowly made his way inside. Pushing on the large metal doors, a loud metallic creaking echoed throughout the peaceful area. As he took his first steps inside he noticed a long pathway, covered in dirt and grime. The walls were stained and there was a pungent smell of chemicals in the air. Taking a few more steps Gohan was suddenly alerted by small energy signals close by. Small metal panels on the walls opened up revealing several automatic rotary weapons. They aimed at Gohan and fired without hesitation.

Anyone watching would have witnessed Saiyaman vanish from his position, followed by several exploding sounds as the trap guns were destroyed in mere moments. Saiyaman then reappeared behind the line of weapons with one undamaged machine still in hand.

Gohan looked down at the machine with surprise on his face. "That was close. I could have sworn I sensed _Ki_ coming from these machines and bullets," Gohan mused to himself. Crushing the remains of the weapon he slowly continued on. _"This Dr. Stan has some serious weapons and an amazing understanding of the application of __**Ki**__. I'll need to be more careful; those bullets could have been dangerous even for me."_

A short while later Gohan found himself in the belly of this facility. From the outside it just appeared to be a rundown building, but the deeper he got the more traps he would find and from time to time discovered machinery and left over experiments. The quality may be lacking but the tools here were top notch. Finally Gohan came across another set of double doors. From beyond Gohan could feel the mass of energy, but strangely enough this energy felt so natural and peaceful. Bringing his hand to the double doors he used a small **Kiai** to push the doors open. Unlike the main doors these ones glided open without a sound besides the slight swoosh from the air.

Inside Gohan could make out several machines but what caught his attention was the machine in the center of the room. It had a large circular base with various panels and screens, a large metallic rod shot straight up with several smaller rods pointing outwards, and surrounding the whole thing was a large glass tube. But what really caught Gohan by surprise was the _Ki_ energy revolving within the glass tube. _"So this is where this mass of energy was coming from," _Gohan thought as he took a few steps closer to it. "But how..?" He began to question before a large sledgehammer sized wrench came crashing down on his head.

Gohan's hands quickly shot up to his head to cover the injury he just received, tears slightly leaking from the corner of his eyes, as he tried to suck on his own tongue in hopes of soothing it after the harsh bite he was forced to deliver to it. He really needed to stop lowering his guard. Taking his hands from his head Saiyaman turned to his assailant a slight pout on his features. "That wasn't very nice," he said to the old scientist in front of him.

Gohan eyed the old man shaking in fear in his white lab coat. He could almost swear the strange hair points coming out of his head where shaking too. "S-sorry..?" the old Doctor replied.

Straightening his stance Gohan actually stood almost a head over the old man. "Dr. Stan I presume?" Gohan started in his superhero voice. "You are wanted for development of dangerous weapons and being an accomplice of Mr. Red. Do you have anything to say?"

The old man was surprised he wasn't instantly attacked by the youthful super hero in front of him, but seeing as his surprise attack did nothing but cause the boy a minor irritation; Dr. Stan dropped his wrench on the floor with a sigh. "What can I say? I've done terrible things," he started to say with deep regret obvious in his voice. Gohan raised an eyebrow as he waited for the scientist to continue. "And I was so close to completing my master piece," he finished saying while turning slightly to look at the bizarre machine in the center of the room.

Gohan followed his gaze. "What exactly is that machine?"

Dr. Stan simply closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with his index fingers. "What does it matter now? It looks like our dream will not be completed my dear Eve."

There was something strange about the way he was talking. The sad tone, the faraway look in his eyes, and the strange name he mentioned. Gohan was beginning to get curious. He couldn't sense an ounce of evil or ill intentions from this old man, how did he get involved with someone like Mr. Red. "Dr. Stan, I am quite curious about your story. I am not sure what it is you wanted to create here but I get the feeling your plans were nothing like Mr. Red's. Will you tell me about this master piece of yours and how you got involved with someone so despicable? I can't promise anything, but if I like your story I may be able to help."

Dr. Stan's eyes quickly shot open and looked at Saiyaman in disbelief. There was no reason for this boy to listen to him after everything he had caused. _"Why..? No, perhaps this is a sign to not give up…well if the boy even believes me,"_ he thought starting to become hopeful.

"What the heck, maybe someone will actually see what I'm trying to accomplish," he started saying with a slight chuckle. Gohan crossed his arms and watched him intently. "Well to start this story we'd have to go back about ten years. You may have been too young to remember but the Earth was invaded by extraterrestrials." This caught Gohan's attention. It sounded like the good Doctor was referring back to the time Vegeta and Nappa came to Earth.

"Actually I remember that time very clearly," Gohan said calmly. He was beginning to get curious about what that event had to do with any of this.

"That's surprising, but well that day we witnessed an amazing sight that got us thinking," Dr. Stan continued only to be interrupted.

"We?" Gohan said tilting his head in confusion.

"Yes, sorry, me and my wife. We were researchers who studied all forms of energy and how they could be used to benefit mankind. That day we witnessed a whole new form of energy, which I'm sure you know of as _Ki._ We weren't entirely sure what happened that fateful day, but I do know it's what inspired us to look into this new form of energy and how it could be harnessed. The earth trembled, the skies raged, this energy affected everything around. Certainly it was destructive but imagine what that energy could do if it were harnessed safely," the enthusiastic scientist said in excitement.

"So that's what this machine is for?" Gohan questioned, looking over his shoulder at the strange machine.

"Yes, that's right. This machine can absorb energy naturally just like people and after using it the energy returns to nature; truly perpetual energy. Unfortunately our sponsors at the time thought we were mad. Every single company we tried to get funding from refused us. Knowing that larger companies would only laugh us out the door as well, my wife and I began our own little business to fund our research. It was nearly three years later when we came across a breakthrough. We met another scientist who was interested in researching _Ki._ When he saw our research he wanted to help so badly that we couldn't say no. Together the three of us managed to perfect the energy absorption as well as a possible way of storing it, but shortly after that the scientist took our combined research and disappeared. He was brilliant but I think he had a few screws loose."

Energy absorption? Draining energy? Why did all this sound so familiar? "Um, you don't happen to remember this scientist name, do you?"

Dr. Stan looked at Saiyaman curiously. What did this have to do with his story? "Well actually his name was Dr. Gero," Dr. Stan answered the question. He was surprised to find a look of horror cross Saiyaman's features before vanishing as quickly as it came.

"I see, Please continue your story," Gohan said trying to ignore the mention of the deranged scientist. The familiarity in the twos designs that Bulma pointed out made sense now. Although, Dr. Stan had nothing to do with the androids directly, it looks like Dr. Gero had a little help with his advancements in android technology.

"Well when Gero disappeared we didn't think much of it since he only took copies of our research and thanks to him we came very far. It wasn't long after that when my wife got sick. It was a virus that attacked the heart, you may have heard about the epidemic slightly before Cell's appearance," Dr. Stan said. _"That's the same virus Dad caught." _Gohan thought in shock.

"Her condition slowly worsened after two years but throughout those years my wife stayed strong ever pushing towards our goal. You see my wife was unable to bare children of her own, but that never stopped her from being positive, always radiating happiness. Her dream was to help the world; it was as if she thought of the planet as her child. She managed to live until after the Cell Games. She was happy the world was saved and that someday our research could help the world. On her deathbed she made me promise that I would complete our _Ki _Generator. I had lost my way and motivation for quite a while after that. It wasn't until Mr. Red approached me with a promise of unlimited funding for my project as long as I supplied him _Ki_ weapons. I wasn't sure how he knew about me or my research but at that time I thought if there was any chance to complete our project then I would have to take it…for her," the doctor said, his voice becoming solemn and distant.

"So you helped Mr. Red taking no regard for the people he would harm with your technology," Gohan said finishing up his story.

Dr. Stan managed a weak smile filled with guilt. "Yeah, that about sums it up. I knew what I was doing was wrong. And I knew how my wife would feel about it. But I couldn't see any other way to make her dream come true," the scientist admitted his guilt, tears slowly streaming from his eyes. "I'm also responsible for all those who were hurt in the past months and I've failed to accomplish my wife's dream. I can only hope my research will one day benefit the world."

Gohan eyed the scientist carefully. Gohan's instincts told him he wasn't a bad guy just one who took the wrong path. But there was more to this then Saiyaman forgiving him. "Well I understand what you were trying to accomplish," Gohan started as he approached the _Ki_ Generator. Noticing a few blueprints he began inspecting them. "This technology could do wonders for Erath, but I can't let you off easy."

The scientist was surprised to say the least. This boy actually gave him a chance to speak his story but he even sympathizes with it. "Yes I understand."

"But there might be some help I can give you. You just have to promise that from now on you will use your brain only to benefit the world," Saiyaman said turning to Dr. Stan with a smile.

Dr. Stan was staring wide-eyed. "Re-really? But why would you want to help me?"

Gohan chuckled at the old man's reaction. "Well I grew up believing people deserved a second chance, but in the end it's because we have the same dream; a bright future for Earth. Shall we work together to make that happen," Saiyaman said happily while extending his hand.

The good doctor put on a bright smile and shook Saiyaman's hand with vigor. "Yes and thank you, if only my wife could have been here to meet someone who believed in our dream. I'm sure it would have made her happy."

After a series of thank yous from Dr. Stan, Gohan finally went over his plan. He gave the good doctor a private number to call once he was in the custody of the police. He was to tell his story exactly as he told it and wait for the results. He was also asked to leave any involvement of his part other than the arrest a secret. Dr. Stan was extremely surprised when the number he was given connected him directly to Bulma Brief; heir of Capsule Corporation. He was mystified about the fact that Saiyaman was somehow connected to Mrs. Brief but quickly disregarded his questions and did as he was told. Bulma Brief seemed quite interested in the Doctor's research. Of course she had received a call from Gohan prior to the Doctor's. To say she was a bit skeptical was an understatement, but after going over the blueprints he delivered and hearing out this scientist she became rather intrigued.

* * *

><p><strong>[Friday; Dr. Stan's Trial]<strong>

Many people were surprised to hear the scientist behind the R.F.D.S would be held on trial, but even more so when on the court day Bulma Brief along with a pair of her attorneys appeared to defend the crazed scientist. Videl who had been present at the court date to witness the scientist get what he deserves was extra surprised.

After a heated trial Bulma agreed to repay all property loses involved with the scientist's research, bail, and court fees; as well as taking responsibility for his future conduct. The blue-haired genius surprised everyone when she smiled happily as she walked out with Dr. Stan following closely. Even the good doctor was surprised at how much Mrs. Brief had done for him.

As they left the court house many reporters could be seen outside of a police barricade trying to garner their attention.

"Mrs. Brief, why did you take responsibility for Dr. Stan's actions?"

"Dr. Stan what made you work for Mr. Red and help develop weapons for his diabolical plans?" Were some of the things the reporters shouted, but it was a shout from a young crime fighter that caught their attention.

"Bulma!" Videl called as she approached the two.

Bulma smiled upon seeing the raven-haired teen. "Hi Videl, what brings you here?" she asked politely.

Videl returned her friendly smile and replied, "I was here to watch the trial, but I was more surprised to see you here. Why did you defend Dr. Stan?" She was now glaring at the scientist in question. Dr. Stan took a step back and looked at the ground in shame.

"Well a good scientist can always come in handy and after hearing his story I just thought I'd give him a second chance," Bulma said casually, sending a smile toward the scientist.

Dr. Stan smiled meekly as he spoke, "Yes well, I am truly sorry for what I've been a part of Ms. Satan. But I truly wish to help people with my technology. If Saiyaman had not listened to my story and encouraged me, I would never have called Mrs. Brief. I always assumed she would laugh at my ideas but I was dead wrong."

Videl eyed the old man dubiously. "Well I'll be keeping my eye on you just in case, got it?"

Dr. Stan flinched a bit at her harsh warning. Bulma only smiled. _"This girl is tough. Gohan better be careful or she'll figure out all his secrets in no time,"_ Bulma thought amused by the idea.

"Y-yes I'll stay out of trouble I assure you," Dr. Stan replied to Videl. "I only wish I could thank Saiyaman for this second chance," the good doctor added looking sadly at the ground.

Videl looked at the scientist curiously. _"Did Saiyaman really do that much for him? I thought he just found and arrested him."_ She thought she was getting to understand Saiyaman but every time something happens he surprises her with his actions.

Bulma looked at the old man with an understanding smile. Gohan is just like Goku, in that he can see the good in people and can change them for the better. Always helping, even those that don't even know they need it. Looking into the sky she let her mind drift to some of her past adventures when she noticed a small figure. Her smile brightened as she looked down at the scientist. "Well why don't you just thank him then?" she said more then asked as she raised one finger to point at the sky.

Videl and Dr. Stan looked up to see Saiyaman floating far above them looking at them. Videl could guess he was interested in seeing how the trial turned out. Dr. Stan didn't hesitate a moment as he shouted to the sky, "Thank you for believing in my dream and for giving me a second chance! I will certainly make the best of it and make my late wife proud!"

Bulma smiled at the old man's enthusiasm. Even Videl couldn't help crack a smile, maybe he could really do some good. Bulma then turned to Dr. Stan and held out her hand. "Well from here on out you work for me," Bulma stated with enthusiasm. Such a good scientist would be of great help in the corporation and her father seemed to be interested in the old man's research.

Dr. Stan took her hand with a happy grin. "Yes, Dr. Adam Stanley reporting for duty. I hope I'll be able to match your expectations.

Videl watched the two with a smile. These kinds of moments were rare. A complete reform and a new beginning; who knows what kind of technology Capsule Corp. will produce from now on. Looking up into the sky again she could still see Saiyaman watching them. As an experienced fighter she has honed her senses to a degree. She could see he was just floating with his arms crossed, but on closer inspection she could see the smirk on his face. There was something surreal about him at that moment, like he could see the outcome to all of this. Like he was seeing something that no one else could see.

Videl grew a smirk of her own. _"He thinks everything is over now, but he forgot about me. Just you wait Saiyaman, we still have business," _Videl thought as she watched Saiyaman's aura burst around him like a flame and shoot up into the sky. His glowing trail followed him as he did several loops before flying off into the distance. At least things were returning to normal.

**A/N: well another chapter for yall. Took longer than I thought, but hey at least im still updating. So this is a bit of a filler to close off the Red Flag Saga and then we'll have a few more short fillers like this to set up for the next Saga. Also if any one kept track at this time its about May in the story. So we are approaching the Cell Games anniversary and Gohan's birthday. So that's something to look forward to. Dr. Stan will make other appearances later and so will his **_**Ki**_** Generator, but not for a while. Now its time for Videl to find a way to become stronger. Well read and review. Oh and I wonder if anyone noticed the reference that came with Dr. Stan and his wife. Its kinda weak but I thought of it at the last minute.**


	23. Videl's Dilemma

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 22: Videl's Dilemma**_

It was Tuesday afternoon in Satan City. The citizens of this thriving metropolis were happily going about their day. Recent events seemingly washed away and less crime than ever. But of course the question is, how long would it last?

For one young crime fighter it just meant time to prepare, but something was not right with her. Erasa had noticed Videl's depressing mood since Saturday. She assumed her best friend would be happy now that those R.F.D.S creeps were locked up where they belong. Yet there was her friend constantly sighing and staring off into space. Her fiery temper was none existent, as well as her overall energy.

"Hey have you guys noticed Videl's strange behavior?" Erasa asked Sharpner and Gohan as they walked through the halls without the presence of the previously mentioned teen.

Sharpner walked with his hands in his pockets and gave a slight shrug. "Yeah, but she's never gonna talk to anyone about it. She's the type that works out her own problems."

"That's not good," Gohan started saying; a slight frown present on his face. "Everyone needs help at some point, even if it's just someone who is willing to listen."

"That's right," agreed Erasa giving her boyfriend's arm a squeeze.

"Well good luck getting her to open up. I've got my own problems to deal with so count me out," Sharpner replied casually.

"And what's with you?" Erasa questioned. She was sure Sharpner never had problems other than some personal issues he's probably not aware of.

Sharpner let out a sigh and watched the ground go by as he walked. "I just can't find the right way to train after I got involved with Saiyaman's plan. I just feel like it's all pointless."

Gohan raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Erasa looked at him with a frown before saying, "What do you mean pointless? You work hard for your martial arts and boxing. I thought you wanted to be as strong as Videl and her dad?"

Sharpner chuckled when he heard that. "Yeah well…you really had to be there so I don't expect you two to understand." Sharpner could still remember how it felt with that energy rushing through him, that strength he felt, and the rush of actually doing something productive with it. Not just beating up on someone in a ring to prove he was the strongest, no…this was different.

Gohan looked forward when his friend became lost in thought. _"So Sharpner's pretty much hit a wall in his training? He is strong for his age and with some work he may be able to surpass the human limit. That's the way of the Turtle School anyway. Hmm...?" _Gohan continued to walk as he contemplated his thoughts.

* * *

><p><strong>[OSH; Lunch Time]<strong>

Gohan was heading back to his locker to retrieve his lunch he had forgotten. As he grabbed his food capsule and closed his locker, he was about to head to the cafeteria when he noticed a certain raven-haired teen heading up the stairs to the roof. Getting a good sense of her _Ki _he could tell she wasn't off to fight a crime. He was actually happy that Saiyaman hadn't been needed for a good week now. But seeing the girl go up there alone made him curious.

As he ascended the stairs to the roof he wondered why Videl had been so withdrawn lately. It really wasn't like her and although she scared him half to death with her constant curiosity and temper, that was who she was; feisty. It was strange when she wasn't hounding him or Saiyaman, although a lack of crime makes it hard for Saiyaman to make an appearance.

Reaching the door to the roof, he carefully opened it; trying not to surprise Videl. Taking in the sight on the roof he saw her leaning against the ledge with her elbow, hand propping up her head. There was a wistful look in her eyes as she overlooked the city. To Gohan it painted a perfectly serene picture. Yet the way her _Ki _felt contradicted the whole picture. He could feel her anxiousness, as if waiting for something or looking for something.

Approaching cautiously Gohan made his presence known. "Hey Videl, what are you doing up here all by yourself?" he asked casually, Son grin in place.

"Eep!" Videl squealed in surprise. Having been completely lost in thought she was caught off guard. Turning around she saw just who she thought it was; that cheerful voice is something she had become accustomed to. "Gohan! What are you doing scaring me like that!?" She shouted trying to sound angry, while crossing her arms in front of her chest. Really she was just mad at herself for letting her guard down like that.

Gohan rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Gee sorry Videl," he replied with a guilty smile. The he chuckled to himself.

Videl furrowed her eyebrows and glared at the teen. "What's so funny?" she questioned slightly annoyed.

Gohan looked at her with a big grin before pointing at her and saying, "Eep?"

Videl's face suddenly lit up like a traffic light and quickly looked away trying to hide her blushing face; trying being the key word. This time Gohan fell to the floor, holding his gut, while he broke into laughter. For a tough, tomboy, crime fighter like Videl to have a reaction like that is just funny to Gohan. He never would have guessed she had such girly responses.

"Son Gohan you better shut up right now!" Videl shouted her face still red, but now a combination of embarrassment and anger.

"I…Can't…Stop," Gohan said in between laughs trying hard to breath.

Videl Just growled at his response before pouncing on the teen sending purposely weak hits at his chest. Before she knew it she was smiling and even laughing along with Gohan, still feigning attack as she lazily pounded his chest. After several minutes of laughing they calmed down. Videl looked down at Gohan as he tried to catch his breath; eyes shut to avoid the glaring sun above. She couldn't help smiling at him. One minute she was having the worst week ever and all it took was a good laugh to make her feel better.

After catching his breath, Gohan opened his eyes to see Videl smiling down at him and gave a smile of his own. "Well guess you haven't lost your feistiness. So wanna tell me what's on your mind?" Gohan said in a playful manner. Videl could see the slight concern in his eyes.

She sighed before saying, "You probably wouldn't understand."

The teen saiyan eyed the girl curiously. "Well sometimes you just need to voice your thoughts aloud so you can come to a better conclusion. If you don't want to talk to me I could always get Erasa or Sharpner."

Videl looked at the boy she has gotten to trust as a friend. He's always there to help people. Whether it be with homework or… hell anything. And in moments like these he doesn't act like a goofy fourteen year old nerd. He's more like a young man who has more life experience than someone his age should. "Well I guess I could…" Videl started but was interrupted by a loud growling noise and a strange sensation in her thighs.

Both Gohan and Videl looked towards the source of the sound; that being Gohan's stomach. Both teens turned red when they finally noticed that Videl had been straddling Gohan's stomach for quite a while now. Videl quickly jumped off the teen and sat on her knees next to him facing away in embarrassment. "S-sorry," Videl barely stuttered out.

Gohan just chuckled as he sat up rubbing his stomach. "Man am I hungry. How about I eat and you talk?" he asked smiling at her.

Videl sweat-dropped and stared at the boy with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. _"Can this guy really be that dense or was his stomach more of a concern than anything?"_ Videl thought as she watched Gohan unpack his lunch and begin devouring it.

Deciding it couldn't hurt to confide in her strange nerd friend she voiced her concerns. "Well like I said it's a fighter thing, so you probably wouldn't understand," she started saying as she looked out over the city. Gohan's pace of eating slowed slightly as he paid more attention to the girl in front of him. "It's just that I've hit a dead end in my training. I just can't seem to get stronger like I use to. Before when I trained and pushed myself I could tell I was growing stronger, but recently I feel like I've made no progress."

Gohan swallowed down some of his noodles before speaking, "Well in martial arts don't you usually have a master to teach you? You can't accomplish everything alone."

Videl was surprised the nerdy teen actually had a reply to her problem. "Yeah I guess, but dad says he can't teach me his advanced stuff because it would be too dangerous. Plus I don't know anyone else that could teach me, well besides one person but I can't even get in contact with him." Videl replied looking off into the distant skies.

The young demi-saiyan knew she was referring to his alter-ego. Her father probably couldn't teach her much and he really couldn't think of anyone that could teach her either. As for Saiyaman, well…let's just say Gohan wasn't very confident that he would make a good teacher. It was true that when it came to sheer power Gohan stood at the top right now, but he still had much to learn. Vegeta was still a better tactician then him and was far superior in the physical department; after all he was still only fourteen. Both Piccolo and Tien had amazing mental focus and while piccolo was superior in combat technique, Tien was much more skilled with his special techniques. Tien always had a bag of tricks, but piccolo could match more powerful opponents with skill alone. And last but not least Krillin was the more skilled with his _Ki_ control than any of the Z Fighters.

"Well I'm sure you'll find a way. After all someone as stubborn as you won't just quit without giving it your all," Gohan said with a playful smile.

Videl frowned at the stubborn comment, but it quickly turned into a smile. Standing up Videl put her hands on her hips and shouted, "That's right! I will find a way to become stronger, no matter how long it takes."

Gohan smiled up at the girl, happy that he could help cheer her up. Now he just had to find a way to help. It's obvious to him now that Sharpner and Videl have gotten lost on their path to power. If he just let this play out they may end up using some dangerous methods to gain power. _"So what can I do?"_

* * *

><p><strong>[Thursday After School]<strong>

Gohan had bid farewell to his friends and girlfriend. They were all going out to the mall, but the saiyan teen had other things to do at home. Or at least that's what he told them. He had spent all his time since his talk with Videl trying to figure out how to help. After meeting different Z Fighters individually and asking advice on how to train someone, then breaking down how his father and himself had been trained; Gohan came up with a good way to help his friends.

He still wasn't teacher material, but that didn't mean he couldn't help guide them in the right direction. While many of them started out with a master to teach them there is one big difference between how the Z Fighters were trained and how he needed to go about training his friends. So without finding them an actual master, he will guide them to people who can help.

Videl, Sharpner, and Erasa were on their way to the mall as the passed by Satan Park. Erasa was chattering happily about what she wanted to buy while her two friends just humored her. Suddenly Videl was knocked off balance as someone bumped into her from behind, but instead of stopping the hooded figure just weaved past her left side and continued jogging down the sidewalk.

Videl growled and shook her left fist as she shouted after him. "Watch where you're going you jerk!" Suddenly her eyes widened as they fell upon her wrist. "That punk stole my wrist communicator!" she shouted loudly before taking off after the thief.

Both Erasa and Sharpner looked at each other in a mixture of shock and confusion before taking off after their friend.

Videl spotted the jerk jogging up ahead heading straight for Satan Park. He was wearing some baggy blue jeans, some basic black sneakers, and a dark grey hoodie with the hood covering his head and part of his face. If he thought he could lose her in the park then he had another thing coming. _"Nobody steals from Videl Satan!" _she shouted in her head.

Moments later Erasa came upon a ridiculous scene. Was this some kind of game or a circus act? Right there, in the middle of Satan Park were three people surrounded by many spectators who stopped to watch the display. The blonde knew that Sharpner went ahead to help catch the thief, but…how is it that her two friends, some of the top athletes in High School despite being freshmen, couldn't catch this guy.

Erasa couldn't believe her eyes as she watched her two friends run, jump, and dive, to catch this guy. Even when they attacked more violently with a punch or kick, the thief simply avoided it. The whole time holding out the communicator watch teasingly. All she could see about the guys face was his mischievous smirk and a thick pair of sunglasses that covered the majority of his face.

"Grr, come back here you big jerk!" Videl growled in anger, taking another frustrated dive for the thieving teen. But this one ended like every attempt; missing him by a mile. _"It's like he knows what I'm going to do and exactly where I'll be,"_ she thought in frustration.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the teen started in an unnaturally deep voice. "You'll never catch me like that. The two of you really have some amazing potential, but it looks like you are too lost in this concrete jungle."

Sharpner's eyebrow twitched when he heard that. "What the hell is with that? First you steal Videl's watch and now you're lecturing us about not being able to get it back," he shouted in rage. "Why don't you just stand still so I can knock your block off.?"

Standing straight the mysterious thief put his hands in his hoodie pocket. "Fair enough, here I am," he said confidently, smirk never leaving his face.

Videl watched suspiciously as Sharpner marched straight up to him and cocked his fist back. Sharpner let loose a well placed boxer's straight aimed for the teen's face. And as everyone expected it hit its mark, but what happened next stunned everyone.

The crowd watched in awe as the blonde teen reeled back his fist and shouted in pain. "What the hell is your face made of?" Sharpner yelled in confusion and pain. He couldn't explain how he was the one in pain.

When the thief chuckled Sharpner glared at him sharply. "Nice try, but at your level it would be better for you if I dodged your attacks."

Videl couldn't understand it. Who the hell was this guy who stole from her just to toy with her? "That's enough, who the hell are you?" she demanded more than asked as she stomped up to him.

"Well I guess I've had my fun, but we are gathering a crowd so I should just get straight to the point," he said again in his unnatural voice.

"_Wait now I know where I've heard that voice. No way…"_ but Videl's thoughts were stopped short when the guy pulled his hood off revealing very spiky golden blonde hair. "S-Saiyaman..?"

Saiyaman just chuckled at her expression. Gohan had to admit he was having fun toying with them, but it was time to move things along. Suddenly Erasa made her way to her friends and with a smile said, "Hey Saiyaman, you look great in casual clothes."

Videl sweat-dropped. Of course her blonde friend would comment on his fashion choice over anything. Rolling her eyes she fixed them back on Saiyaman with an angry glare. "And why exactly are you stealing my property and starting this pointless game of tag?" she questioned, annoyance evident in her voice.

Saiyaman's smirk only grew wider. "Well it was to teach you a lesson."

"What kind a lesson did you want to teach us that you had to go and bust my hand," Sharpner replied this time.

Gohan chuckled again. "Actually you hit me so that's your fault. But it's a simple lesson…"

"We still have a lot to learn," interrupted Videl, "Right?"

This time Gohan's smirk turned into a proud smile. "Exactly and after seeing what you guys were capable of when fighting the R.F.D.S I thought I'd help get you guys on the right path."

Videl actually smiled at this. "So you'll train us," she quickly asked in excitement.

"Nope," Saiyaman retorted with a smile.

Videl's face fell into an emotionless state. "Nope?" she started, and then like a switch got angry again, "What do you mean nope? You just said…"

"I said I would help you, not train you," Saiyaman said interrupting her this time.

Videl scowled and glared at him. "Okay so how are you going to help?"

"Yeah are you gonna teach us that energy business," Sharpner interjected, also getting excited. Erasa on the other hand just watched the situation. This was obviously one of the rare times she really had nothing to say on the subject.

"Actually that was the plan, but there's something you need to do for me first. Consider it a test," Gohan said with smile. _"Plus this will push you beyond your limits."_

Videl's scowl vanished as she became more curious. Even if he wouldn't train them directly if he could help that would be enough. "So what's the test?"

"Well first…" Gohan started as he pulled two capsules and Videl's communicator watch from his pocket. "Take these," he finished, tossing the watch and a capsule to Videl and the second capsule to Sharpner.

Sharpner eyed the capsule strangely before asking, "What's in here?"

"You'll find out when you open them, but be sure to use what's inside at all times except when showering or sleeping," he replied with a smile.

This got all three teens curious. Erasa eyed the capsules in her friends' hands, pondering on what could be inside. But her musing was interrupted when Saiyaman continued. "As for the test, it's simple. Have you ever heard of Korin Tower?"

This time all three teens blinked in stunned silence. They had all heard of the tower in ancient stories and legends, but they had never seen it or gotten any real information on it.

"It's a big tower, right?" Sharpner said trying not to sound stupid.

Gohan sweat-dropped at this. "Yes it's a very large tower."

"And if someone climbs it they become stronger or something like that," Videl added.

"Well close enough. The legend is that anyone who manages to climb all the way to the top will meet the Master of the Tower, Korin. He will then offer the person a drink of his _Sacred Water_. One sip of this water will make that person many times stronger than they were before."

The three teens eyed him suspiciously. "But that's just a legend right? There is no way water can make someone stronger," Erasa said finally getting into the conversation.

"Yeah plus this guy would have to be super old, that tower has been around forever," Sharpner added.

"They make good points," Videl said agreeing with her friends.

Gohan chuckled again. "And that's why I said you guys are lost in this concrete jungle. There is much more to this world than this city. If you want my help to get stronger climb the tower. And trust me I'll know if you do or not. If not well…good luck but you can keep those capsules anyway," he said nonchalantly, while turning around and walking away. By now bystanders were trying to get pictures of him without his costume. "Well I'm off. It won't be easy to climb the tower but with school ending for summer you'll have plenty of time to give it a try."

"Do you really think we can climb this tower?" Videl questioned, seriously. She couldn't remember exactly but the chances of climbing that tower where next to zero, so why would he want them to attempt it.

Gohan looked over his shoulder at her for a moment before looking straight. His back facing them he said, "It will be tough but I think you're both capable of doing it…that is…if you have the determination and will power." Videl and Sharpner were shocked that Saiyaman actually thought they could do this, even if it did sound crazy. The crowd watched as Saiyaman causally walked away before he vanished from sight as if he were never there in the first place.

"He's gone…" Erasa said stating the obvious. And just like that the crowd began to disperse. Videl looked at her capsule in question as her thoughts returned to what may be inside. To her luck Sharpner was just as curious and decapsulated whatever was inside.

The trio watched as the smoke cleared. And in place of the capsule they found a large case with three large individual containers and below each of those two small compartments. Opening one of the larger compartments Sharpner found a black cloth. "Clothes?" he questioned no one in particular as he went to pick it up. His eyes shot open when he realized just how heavy this cloth was. The girls watched as Sharpner struggled to pick up the cloth. After finally lifting it to eye level they were surprised to find it really was a shirt.

"Jeez Sharpy. Having trouble with picking up a shirt now? That's a little pathetic." Videl chided with a slight grin.

Sharpner frowned at her little comment. "Hey, why don't you take a look at yours before insulting me? This thing is way heavy."

Videl raised her eyebrow at him but decided to comply and open her capsule. Just like Sharpner hers had a large case in it. While opening a large compartment to inspect the shirt she got, Erasa gave Sharpner's shirt a tug.

"Oh wow it really is heavy. And you guys are supposed to wear these at all times?"

Videl had nothing to say, she was stunned. The shirt really was heavy. Taking a look at was else they got she realized she had three sets of shirts, ankle bands, and biker gloves. Plus they were all weighted. Altogether she'd said one set was two hundred pounds of weight. It would be like carrying triple her weight around; give or take.

Erasa watched her two friends as they eyed their new accessories, completely ignoring her question. "Oh great they're not even listening anymore," she said in a defeated tone.

But Sharpner and Videl were thinking the same thing. _"Maybe this will really help make me stronger."_

Sharpner wasn't sure about this tower but if this could get him even farther in his training he would give it a shot. Looking at his raven-haired friend he knew she was thinking the same thing. Now they had a path to walk the question now is, were they prepared for what they would find later down the path.

"_Alright Saiyaman, I'll accept your challenge. I'll definitely become stronger," _Videl thought as a grin spread its way across her lips.

**A/N: here's another chapter for my readers out there. Glad I could get another one out before the New Year because I'll be quite busy. Hell maybe I can get another one out tonight, but just maybe. Well I really didn't feel like editing cause I'm hungry so let's see how an none proofread chapter does. So Gohan isn't going to teach Videl and Sharpner directly but they will start learning more from here. I always thought Gohan was certainly powerful but he was still lacking in many other aspects of fighting. Even if he did continue to train there are just some things he may never be as good as others are. So I thought I'd give the other z fighters their props in this chapter. So this chapter officially announces the next saga, the Korin Tower Saga. But there will still be a few filler chapter until then. Two to be exact. Well read and review. I hope this one satisfies since I just wrote straight through. **


	24. Meet Mrs Satan

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 23: Meet Mrs. Satan**_

It was the third week into May and all the students had been cramming to prepare for finals. Today was Friday and luckily the students only had a half day. So after finishing their finals they were home free. For Sharpner and Videl that meant more training time.

The two had been wearing Saiyaman's weighted training clothes for a little over a week. Many students in their class were surprised to see those too having such difficulty with minor activities, let alone sports. But after several days of doing normal workout routines the two had gotten more adapted to the heavy burden. Now they were even able to keep up in a run with Erasa.

Gohan was amazed how quickly they adapted. It reminded him of Krillin always complaining about getting old and how things are so much easier to learn when you're young. Though he knew they still had a while to go before they were ready to challenge the tower. Surprisingly he hadn't heard anything about them actually climbing the tower. He figured maybe they just took the clothes and were satisfied with that.

Shrugging it off Gohan decided to wait. They still had half a week of school left before summer starts and then they would still have to plan the trip. He figured if they would attempt it they would need all the extra time they can get to prepare.

It was the final class of the day for Gohan and his friends. Luckily for them they had no final in this class, since they had a project final that was already turned in. So the four teens were simply chatting waiting for the last hour to pass.

Everyone's attention in the class room simultaneously turned to the door as a light knock was heard. It was strange seeing since there were usually no interruptions during finals. The students watched curiously as the teacher went to open the door. All they could see was the teacher's surprised expression before he smiled with a slight bow.

"Please, come in. I suppose you're here for Videl?" the teacher said politely, to which Videl raised an eyebrow in question. But Gohan noticed how her eyes suddenly widened in surprise before a large grin took over her features. Noticing the woman that walked into the room, he could see she was elegantly dressed in a sundress, and her long black hair flowed straight down her back like a waterfall. But his eyes widened when he saw the woman turn in their direction. She looked just like Videl only older and more mature. She wore the kindest smile on her naturally red lips that contrasted her pale skin perfectly.

"Mom!" Videl shouted in joy, confirming what Gohan was already thinking. "You're back already?" the excited teen questioned as she made her way down to her mother.

"Yes dear, I just arrived a few hours ago. But I couldn't wait to see you. Are you all finished with your finals?" Her mother questioned back, her voice silky and gentle.

"Yeah we don't have a final for this class," Videl replied happily.

"Then why don't we get out of here a bit early and get some lunch?" she asked again. Looking up to where Videl was sitting she noticed her daughter's two blonde friends. "Oh, and Erasa and Sharpner are welcome to join us," she added making said blondes cheer.

Turning to the teacher Videl's mother said, "If that's alright with you of course."

The teacher nodded with a smile before saying, "Of course Mrs. Satan. Here they would just be sitting around for an hour."

This earned another cheer out of the blondes as they grabbed their things and started making their way down the stairs, but through their excitement they all forgot one thing; which they remembered at the same time. Stopping their trek down the stairs the blondes turned back to look at Gohan. Videl also noticed Gohan sitting there blankly staring as if trying to figure out what was happening.

Turning to her mother Videl said, "Oh can my new friend Gohan come too?"

Mrs. Satan blinked down at her daughter before smiling brightly. "Of course," she said cheerfully. After all any friend of her daughter was very important to her. She knew how hard it was for Videl to trust people and make friends who liked her for her.

Turning to Gohan, Erasa took the initiative and said, "Come on Gohan."

Gohan smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek with his index finger. "Um, are you sure? I don't think my mother would like me leaving early."

Videl frowned at this. She wanted her mother to meet her new friend. Why did Gohan always have to be so…good? "Gohan just come on. The teacher said it's alright so come," she simply ordered before turning to the door with her mother.

Gohan decided what the heck and packed up his things, quickly following the two blondes after their friend and her mother.

* * *

><p><strong>[Moments Later; At The Hero's Café]<strong>

The small group had ordered their meal from Susan and were now chatting as they awaited their food.

"That was quite an order…Gohan was it?" Mrs. Satan commented with a kind smile.

Gohan sheepishly scratched the back of his head while replying, "Yeah it's hereditary…Oh but I'll pay for my own meal of course, Mam"

Mrs. Satan let out a slight giggle before saying, "No worries, anything for a friend of Videl's. And my name is Victoria, but Mrs. Satan works if it feels more comfortable."

"Yeah Gohan, don't be silly," Erasa added. "Sorry about my boyfriend, he's super polite."

This bit of news seemed to perk the older woman's interest. "So you two are dating? Is that how he became part of your group?"

This time it was Videl who answered. "No, they started dating after Gohan became friends with us," she said with a slight frown, although Videl didn't know why. She just blamed it on wanting to talk about something other then Erasa and Gohan.

As a mother Mrs. Satan knew when something was off about her daughter, but chose to leave that for another time. "I see…So Gohan do you live here in the city?"

Gohan was happy to answer her question and he…well mostly Erasa told Mrs. Satan about himself and recent events in the city. Of course leaving out a few details like Videl and Gohan almost getting killed. By the time they were finished the food had arrived, Gohan didn't spare a moment and quickly shoveled down his food as he listened to the others talk.

"My, my, you kids have been through quite a lot since I've been gone. New friends, a superhero, and corruption," Mrs. Satan said with a thoughtful expression. Turning to Videl she added, "Say Videl, do you think Saiyaman might be _him_?"

The mention of Saiyaman and _him_ caused Gohan to tense up and nearly choke on his food, but when he noticed no attention was on him he quickly relaxed. Mrs. Satan's eyes shot to Gohan for a fraction of a moment before looking back at Videl as she began to speak. "Yeah, I've been thinking the same thing but I'm not sure. I've been more focused on figuring out who he really is, so I haven't really asked him," Videl said with her left hand cupping her chin in thought.

Mrs. Satan simply nodded in response as the two blonde friends listened in. Gohan, on the other hand, was completely lost. "Um, who is _him_ and what does it have to do with Saiyaman," he asked with a blank expression, head tilted slightly to show his confusion.

"Oh right, Nerd-Boy doesn't know," Sharpner said triumphantly, as if solving the mystery.

"Um…?" Was Gohan's only reply.

"Now Sharpner, it isn't nice to call friends names," Mrs. Satan chided before turning her attention to the spiky haired teen. "I suppose they haven't told you much about it, but considering who Videl's father and my Husband is; it isn't too surprising."

Gohan wasn't sure what she was talking about so he kept quiet and waited for her to continue, but it was Videl who spoke first. "Me and my mother are _"Anti-Satan"_," the raven haired teen said with a straight face, looking at Gohan.

"Eh!? But he's…" Gohan began to say before Videl cut him off, "Yeah we know, but something about my dad beating Cell doesn't sit right with us. We know he's strong and he could be hiding his power like he says, but…"

"We've known him since before being the world champion," Mrs. Satan continued for Videl. "Of course we won't completely toss the idea, but we have reason to doubt he actually did what he claims."

Gohan looked in awe at the two Satan women. Never in a million years would he have believed that these two were _"Anti-Satan"_ if he had not heard it from them. But this raised many questions for Gohan, but one was just itching to be asked. "Why?" he simply asked. There was no emotion to the question, no sign of which side he was on, he simply asked.

Videl blinked at him. They already explained that they had their doubts. She had never really thought much about why, but as she thought about it, it was the same reason she wanted to meet _him_ again. "I guess if there was a reason it was because we met _him_," Videl said with a thoughtful expression on her face.

For Gohan this was getting even more intriguing. First Saiyaman and _him_ might somehow be related, which didn't make much sense to the young saiyan, and now _he _has something to do with them being _"Anti-Satan"_. "So we are back to the beginning, who is _him_?" Gohan questioned.

This made Videl glare at him. "You know for a guy whose so mysterious about himself you sure ask a lot of questions," she retorted.

Gohan quickly began shaking his hands in front of his chest in panic. "Oh, sorry. You don't have to say if you don't want to." Mrs. Satan and the two blonde teens watched the two silently. Of course Mrs. Satan found this quite amusing. She was paying close attention to Gohan's interactions with her daughter and daughter's friends. Mrs. Satan understood her daughter's interest in the boy, he was certainly different from other people. The most noticeable was his strange spiky hair and deep onyx eyes full of innocence.

With a sigh Videl relented her glare. "Well whatever," she said softly. "To tell the truth I hadn't really thought about that time much. Since Saiyaman showed up it's been at the back of my mind, but I've just been ignoring it."

"Um…ignoring what?" Gohan asked cautiously, almost in a whisper.

"The memory that drove me to fight crime and become an _"Anti-Satan"_ supporter," she replied while staring at the table, but it was obvious to anyone she was trying to recall a memory from her past.

* * *

><p><strong>[Flashback]<strong>

It was a cold winter's eve in recently renamed Satan City. Roughly two years have passed since the time of the Cell Games. The people of the world were once again submerged in the relative peace that prospered on Earth. On this snowy night everyone enjoyed the holiday season, but none more than one particular young girl.

Treading through the snow with her mother's hand wrapped around her own this young girl smiled happily as she hummed her favorite tune. Her shoulder length raven hair covered by a small hat and a puffy warm coat protected her body from the cold temperature, but even the cold didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. It seemed nothing could ruin this perfect mother, daughter outing. Though, nothing could last forever.

"So Videl, did you have fun at the mall?" question the beautiful mother.

The pre-teen Videl looked up at her mother with a bright smile. "Yeah, Mommy. You think Daddy will like the present we got him?"

Mrs. Satan smiled warmly down at her daughter. "Of course, he'll love it."

"Yay!" she cheered happily.

What happened next would never leave Videl's memory. No matter how distant the memory may seem, it will always be there waiting to remind her.

Before Videl could register what happened, she found her self dragged into a nearby alleyway along with her mother. Looking around the pre-teen found her self and her mother surrounded by burly men in ski masks. The sight froze Videl in place; fear coursing through her veins. As much as Videl told her self she was a fighter, she couldn't bring her self to move. All her training, her junior championship title; in that moment it all amounted to nothing.

Her mother was stuck with a similar crisis. In this situation Videl was her number one concern and there was no way she could fight all these guys off and protect her daughter. Figuring she needed time to come up with a decent plan, Victoria faced her assailants and asked the obvious question, "What do you want with us?"

The man in the center, directly in front of her, took a step forward as his low growling voice filled with mirth spread throughout the alleyway. "Don't play us for stupid woman. We know you're Satan's family, so just make this easy on all of us and nobody gets hurt."

Victoria sent the man a vicious glare causing the crook to back up a little. _"Well that figures. I knew all this publicity would be more trouble than it is worth."_ "Fine I'll give you whatever I have , just let us go," the raven-haired mother tried to coax the men into letting them go.

"Heh sorry but it doesn't work that way," the man replied. "Your husband's gonna pay big bucks to get you two back."

"_Well that didn't work." _Leaning down protectively in front of Videl, Victoria whispered quietly to her. "Videl, when I make my move you run for it."

Videl's eyes widened at her mother's words. This whole time she's been frozen by fear, but her mother was trying to find a way out. Now she's trying to sacrifice herself to let her get away. "B-But mommy…" Videl tried to argue softly, but was interrupted by her mother.

"Hush and do as I say. If you run at full speed, these goons won't be able to catch you," Victoria said softly smiling down at her daughter.

Videl's eyes began to tear up as she looked up at her mother. She knew she had to do what her mother said. "Alright enough with the sappy reassurance bullshit, let's get going," the man suddenly intervened, leaving no more room for thinking.

Standing up straight and facing the crooks, Mrs. Satan took a mediocre fighting stance. _"Well I hope some of that training paid off." _

The men were surprised by the woman's actions for a moment, but quickly broke into laughs. The obvious leader of the group once again began to talk. "You really wanna fight us? So much for not hurting you. Hey Bull grab the girl while we deal with this one."

Videl took this as a sign to start running. Her mother thought the same as she jumped straight for the leader and delivered a strong open-palmed strike to his chin; knocking the man on his back. Quickly turning on her feet the pre-teen took off in a dash down the alleyway. The man named Bull having no chance to catch up.

The three other men were attempting to subdue Mrs. Satan as she kicked, jabbed, and palmed everything that tried to come near her. Noticing the man named Bull attempt to run after her daughter, Victoria jumped into the air and kick the man in the back. As he fell, she landed on top of his back and stood straight to face her other assailants. _"Good, Videl is almost out of here and I may just be able to take these guys by myself," _Mrs. Satan thought with confidence.

All would have went according to plan too if it weren't for the metallic sound that echoed throughout the alleyway.

Videl's slowed her run until she took her last two steps, coming to a dead stop. Slowly she turned around. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. The simple task of turning around was now an agonizing wait as reality around her fell to pieces. Finally her eyes found her worst fear to be reality. Lying there in a puddle of her own blood was her mother.

The men fighting her all turned to their leader who was still kneeling to recover from her first attack. "That bitch was really pissing me off," he said with a grunt.

"But Boss, what about the money?" one of the other crooks asked.

Looking at the little Satan girl slowly trudging her way back to her mother, anyone could see the sick smile that appeared underneath the leader's mask. "With her dead the Satan girl's price will skyrocket," he said in a sickly amused tone.

Videl could hear the men talking, but none of it registered. As she reached her mother and kneeled by her side, she was lost in thought. _"Why? How could I be so weak? I-If…If only I'd…"_ Videl could no longer process her thoughts as tears escaped her eyes and fell upon her mother's face.

Slowly blinking her eyes open, the blurry sight of Videl came into view. "Videl dear, what are…*cough*…you doing?"

Videl's eyes widened as her mother looked up at her. Her eyes were dim and unfocused, her skin pale, and her breaths shallow and labored, but she was alive. "Mommy! Don't die please don't die. I need you, Daddy needs you…Please!" Videl whaled hugging her mother's head close.

Victoria brought up a shaky hand to hold Videl's arm, smiling sadly. "Videl…" she managed to say softly, but the urgency was not lost.

"Enough of this, grab the girl and let's get out of here," the leader ordered, disgusted by the sentimental dribble.

"Right Boss," Said one of the men as he advanced on the Satans.

"That's enough!" ordered a young voice that caught everybody's attention.

As all eyes found their way down the alleyway they came upon a kid. But this kid's skin and hair was glowing. His soft golden, almost blonde, hair waving in the winter's breeze, and his teal eyes pearcing through the night. His glare was intense and although young, he had a stoic aura about him. His short sleeved black shirt and purple fighting pants were tattered; hardly offering any protection from the cold.

The leader of the group came to his senses first as he casually said, "This is none of your business kid, so buzz off."

Videl's eyes never left the boy as the scene unfolded. He was the same age as her but he was standing up to these men without fear. No, if she had to explain it, it looked like he was holding himself back from attacking.

"I'll warn you once, leave now and nobody else has to get hurt," the boy said with a cold tone.

Mrs. Satan had experienced much in her life and even with that life fading out of her she could tell this boy could kill. Yet there was this odd kindness about him. The crooks on the other hand just found this threat amusing and began to laugh at the boy.

"Ha ha ha this kid is great. He should be a comedian." said one of the crooks as he laughed.

As their laughter died down, the leader of the bunch faced the boy with a devious grin. "Kids like you should stay home with their mothers but I guess it's a little late for you to learn that lesson," he said casually while raising his pistol and taking aim. "Goodbye," were his last words before firing a round that once again echoed through the alleyway.

All Videl and Victoria could think about was the fact a kid just got killed because of them. Videl tightly shut her eyes while Victoria's foggy gaze watched the scene unfold. But to everyone's surprise the bullet flew through air as the bullet crashed into a wall do to its trajectory.

Victoria blinked the fogginess out of her eyes for a moment to confirm that the boy was now standing in front of her. One of the men happened to glance in her direction and also noticed the boy. "B-but how?" the man stuttered out as he slowly backed away.

All of the other men's attention was quickly drawn to the boy which was met with a random assortment of reactions. As Videl looked up noticing the surprised reactions, she found herself staring up at the boy. She could feel heat coming from his body and the light glow around him made him seem…angelic.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright soon," the boy said in a kind tone, which was odd considering the boy's earlier demeanor. Videl could see his eyes filled with kindness, but there was obvious sadness as well as a little regret. The boy was a turmoil of emotions.

Once again the leader of the group was the first to speak. "Don't get caught up in his tricks boys. He's one of them tricksters Mr. Satan talked about."

This made the other men perk up a bit. It was true Mr. Satan boasted that the strange fighters at the Cell Games were cheap tricksters. Hearing this Videl's awed stare slowly turned into a vicious glare. Now that these crooks mentioned those tricksters it was obvious this boy looked like the one at the Cell Games. She had admired the boy for his bravery but when realizing he was using some trick she felt he was just foolish; playing some game.

"I'll just pump this kid full of lead," the leader announced before firing of his clip. Videl's eyes quickly shut as the horrid sound traveled through the alleyway. The sudden adrenalin of the situation allowed Victoria to focus as she watched everything play out. Trickster or not, this boy may be their only hope for getting out of this alive.

The boy who was midway in his turn to face the crooks, simply turned his neck to face the incoming bullets. In a blur the boys hand shot out snatching the bullets out of the air. When all was said and done, all but Videl were staring at the boy in disbelief. As the silence ensued Videl once again looked up to see the results but she was beyond shocked to see the boys still standing in the same spot. There were no signs that bullets were even fired.

With a flick of his wrist the boy threw the bullets he caught at the near by alley wall. This resulted in the bullets getting lodged in the wall as if a shotgun had been fired. The men suddenly began squirming in place as they attempted to retreat but fear kept them locked in place. Tricks or not, this wasn't something the could deal with.

"My turn," was the boy's only warning before he dashed at them faster than their eyes could keep up. To Videl and Victoria it was just a glowing blur and in just a few short moments, the boy was standing while the crooks lie unconscious at his feet.

"F-fast," was all Videl could say about the overwhelming display.

When the boy turned in their direction, he slowly began walking over to them. Videl couldn't quite understand it, but she was scared. She had no idea what this stranger would do and although he was using tricks, only her father knew how to stop them.

"Get away from us Trickster!" Videl suddenly shouted, catching Victoria by surprise. Though at the moment she didn't have the strength to speak, so she couldn't scold the girl for talking so harshly with the person that saved their life.

Both Satans noticed the boys former kind stare turn into a fierce scowl. "I don't have time to be dealing with ignorant girls," the boy said in a cold tone as he kneeled down next to Victoria and began to examine her.

"I-ignorant!" Videl shouted, turning red in the face due to her anger and embarrassment. Didn't this kid know who she was. "I am not ignorant and what are you doing to my mother?"

"I'm saving her life, so if you don't mind could you be quiet for ten seconds," the boy retorted harshly.

Videl bit on her bottom lip as her face turned even redder. "Listen here jerk…" Videl started before the boy drove his hand into her mother's chest. The sudden sight caught the girl off guard and causing her to let out a shrill shriek.

Before her shrieking came to an end, she watched the boy pulling his hand back out. A gurgled cough alerted Videl that her mother was still breathing. Looking down Videl frantically began pleading with her mother to hang on before sending a deadly glare at the boy, who was currently digging in his pocket. "What have you done!?" she shouted, voice filled with malice

Pulling his hand out, the boy smiled at the small bean in his hand. "Man am I glad I hung on to this," he said simply before bring the bean closer to Victoria's mouth. "Here eat this."

Videl couldn't believe this kid. First he sticks his hand in her mother's chest and now he wants to feed her dried up old beans. "What's wrong with you tricksters? How is a bean gonna help?"

For the first time in a while the boy fixed his cold stare on the raven haired girl. "Just watch and maybe you'll learn something," he said calmly before feeding the bean to Victoria.

Videl watched her mother as she chewed the bean and swallowed. For a moment there was nothing and Videl was going to say something, before her mother's body twitched. Her body suddenly seemed to expand before returning to normal. Victoria was astonished. One second she felt like death was about to claim her and suddenly…she was okay. She wasn't hurt, tired, hell she was even full. The young raven-haired Satan could only watch in awe as her mother took a seated position and examined her hands in disbelief.

The sudden motion of the boy standing up caught their attention. He quickly turned to leave, but not before Victoria could stop him. "Wait! Thank you for saving us." she said before looking at her daughter to do the same.

Videl looked at the boy with a glare. "Thanks Trickster."

"Videl!" Victoria scolded loudly.

"Trickster this, trick that, you're really starting to get on my nerves with that," the boy replied, irritation clear on his voice. "People like you are just ignorant of what's around you. What you call a trick, I call a simple technique. But I don't have time to educate you so I'll be leaving"

Victoria and Videl were stunned by the boy's short lecture as he bent his knees to jump. "Wait, who are you?" Victoria questioned, but it was too late as the boy swiftly jumped into the air and in a burst of light flew of into the night sky.

The two just stared after the boy for a moment before Videl asked a question that would change her perspective.

"Those _are_ just tricks, right Mommy."

Victoria looked down at her daughter as she gazed of into the distant sky. "I'm not sure, but…there's always a chance it's something more."

Videl looked at her mother for a moment before looking at the crooks lying in the alleyway. Her brows furrowed as she came to a decision. _"I'll never be scared of crooks like that again, I'll become just as strong as __**him,**__ and beat any crooks trying to hurt innocent people,"_ she thought with a determination burning in her eyes.

**[End Flashback]**

* * *

><p>"After that I started training harder and after taking down a few crooks the police started letting me help," Videl continued.<p>

Through out the story, Gohan began remembering the event himself. It was right after the others convinced him to let go of his mistake. There was still something nagging him. Then one day, after a training session with Piccolo, he ran into some trouble and a bratty girl that kept calling him Trickster. With his already sour mood, Gohan had almost lost it on the girl; but in a way, that meeting inspired him. That encounter made him realize the world deserved, no, needed to know about the existence of _Ki_. _"That's the reason I wrote…"_ Gohan was thinking when Videl continued.

"A year later _Groundbreaking Science_ was published and the world took to the idea of _Ki _instantly. Then Daddy said he still thought they were cheap tricks to use against opponents without the same ability and that he could do all those _Ki _tricks too," she finished saying with a sigh. "Well I'm sure you can piece the rest together. We get suspicious and we've been trying to find any information on the Cell Games since."

Gohan stared at Videl with a blank expression as he took in all of the new information. Looking over at Mrs. Satan he said, "And that's why you travel around researching mysteries of the world or something?"

Victoria chuckled at the boy. "Yes, something like that," she said while offering a kind smile. "But I was doing this before the Cell Games as well. There are many Legends and Stories that have never been studied to the extent of gaining any new knowledge."

"Speaking of which, where did you go on your trip this time Mom?" Videl questioned becoming curious of what her mother may have found on the Cell Games, and of course she wanted to know what her mother has been doing.

Victoria smiled fondly at her daughter. "Well I went up north, to follow a lead I received about the Red Ribbon Incident, which led us out west, and after some aimless searching we came across two tips," Mrs. Satan started, getting excited to tell of her adventures. "The tip we followed took us to a place called Korin Tower."

"Korin Tower!" Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner shouted simultaneously, to which Gohan had to cover his ears.

Taking the opportunity to play dumb, Gohan said, "Right, Erasa mentioned something about climbing Korin Tower." For Gohan this was a good opportunity to see what Videl and Sharpner had decided.

"Not me, Gohan. Videl and Sharpner are supposed to climb the Tower," Erasa said correcting the teen.

This news flash caused Victoria to raise her eyebrows in question and ask, "You two are trying to climb Korin Tower?"

Mrs. Satan watched as the two teens in question glanced at each other before Videl looked at her and said, "We're not sure actually. I doubt it's really possible, plus do you really think there's some old guy up there waiting to hand out water?"

Gohan watched with curiosity, but he was a bit disappointed that they wouldn't even attempt it.

"Well…" Victoria started saying, as she wore a thoughtful expression; slightly nibbling on the thumbnail. "It's hard to say. When I went to the base of Korin Tower I found a village of tribal folk. The Chief's son spoke of when he was a boy and another boy climbed the tower successfully. After which the Chief's son trained until he climed it himself."

The four teens were stunned to hear about this. Gohan especially since someone actually climbing the tower on their own is a big thing. _"Guess Korin doesn't fill us in on his tower business," _Gohan thought absentmindedly, as he continued listening to the conversation.

"So he told you what was at the top?" Sharpner asked the question that was on mostly everyone's mind.

Victoria smiled sheepishly at the teen's. "Well…no. But he told me the benefits were worth the effort, and in order to discover the tower's secret, I climbed it."

"You climbed the tower, Mom!?" Videl questioned in anticipation.

"Yes, but I failed," Victoria replied with a bright smile. This caused the teens minus Gohan to deflate. The rush of knowing what lies atop the tower took a hold of them. Gohan simply smiled knowingly. He could tell Mrs. Satan had training in Martial Arts, but both Videl and Sharpner were far stronger than her. "But I think if you two tried you could make it. I've never been very strong physically, but you two are young, strong, and spirited."

"I agree, I think you should try it," Erasa added, trying to give her friends some confidence. With a glance and a nod from Erasa, Gohan quickly realized he should say something encouraging as well.

"Uh…right, you can do it if you really set your mind to it," Gohan said with a cheerful grin.

Videl and Sharpner looked at each other for a moment, as if trying to see what the other was thinking. Looking back at her mother and two friends, Videl asked, "You really think we can?"

"Of course, dear. With Summer coming up you can prepare a trip to take this challenge," Mrs. Satan replied.

"But you just got back?" Videl said in an uncharacteristically quiet manner. She had been waiting to spend time with her mother, but now this new opportunity to grow stronger comes up at the same time.

Videl smiled warmly at her daughter. "I won't be going on another trip for quite a while, so go and make this Summer an adventure. Kid's are suppose to explore the world and learn new things."

"What about Daddy?"

"I'll deal with him," her mother replied confidently.

"Yeah, Gohan and me will come to support you guys too," Erasa added in.

"Yeah, wait…what!?" Gohan said after realizing what Erasa said.

"What? We should support our friends and this will be a good opportunity for us to spend time together during the Summer," Erasa justified.

Gohan held his chin as he thought about it. "Well that does make sense," he said before his face broke out in a grin. "Okay, I'm in."

"So..?" Videl questioned while looking at Sharpner.

Breaking into a confident grin, Sharpner flipped some stray hair behind his shoulder. "Let's do it."

Videl also broke into a confident grin. "Alright then it's decided. This Summer we take a trip to Korin Tower," Videl affirmed, excitement filling her voice. _"Finally a chance to go further in my training."_

"_I'll definitely climb this Tower," _thought Sharpner.

Gohan looked at his two friends and could see their drive to become stronger. He knew it wouldn't be easy for them, but he would help them as much as he could along the way. Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan suddenly noticed someone staring at him. Glancing over he came to realize it was Mrs. Satan. She was staring at him with a knowing smile. Gohan had noticed her paying close attention to him early on, but now this woman was staring at him like…well like when Videl becomes suspicious of him.

"_Well, Those two decided to take my test, but now it seems I've caught Mrs. Satan's eye. I'm not sure what I did to make her suspicious of me, but I get the feeling she knows more than she's letting on. After all she's practically trying to uncover all the secrets that revolve around my family and friends,"_ Gohan thought, as he once again glanced at Mrs. Satan whose eyes were still fixated on him. Sighing mentally, Gohan allowed his shoulders to droop. _"Why does my life have to be so complicated?"_

**A/N: all right, first off I'm sorry this update took so long. I recently moved into a new apartment, I have no computer, and when I get off work tired it's hard for me to get motivated to get on the only computer I have access to in order to write. But fear not my fair maidens I will continue updating…whenever I can. As for this chapter. I've been looking forward to for quite a while since it introduces Videl's mother. Unfortunately it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted to. Also I haven't edited cause I'm tired and have to work early. In any case the flashback also shows an event that helped mold Gohan, Videl, and the basis of people knowing about ki. I hope that came out like it was suppose to. Oh well, those of you mentioning the lack of erasa/gohan and its uselessness, well that will change soon. After all there won't be much for them to do but spend time together while their friends climb the tower, and again it will turn into a Videl/Gohan story. Blah, blah, blah. I have nothing else to say so read and review. Again sorry about the long wait I will try to do better.**


	25. Summer Break

_**RED FLAG SAGA**_

_**Chapter 24: Summer Break**_

The day after meeting Mrs. Satan was Gohan's last day of his first year of High School and the young Saiyan was happy to know his friends would take up the challenge of Korin Tower. They had all decided, after getting permission from their parents, to leave after the first week of June. Videl and Sharpner both wanted more time to train and prepare themselves. This left them with sixteen days to prepare for their first adventure into the world without their parents…except Gohan of course. He was just along to keep an eye on his friends.

Gohan's birthday was also coming up, but the young Saiyan was far from excited about it. After all, it was the anniversary of the Cell Games; and with that, his father's death. Every year since that day, Gohan would spend the days leading up to the Cell Games the same way. Even if it meant missing his birthday.

* * *

><p><strong>[Hero's Café; May 24<strong>**th****]**

Only one day had passed since summer break began; all the students enjoying the time off with their friends. The sun was beaming and the bright light blinding, but people in the city enjoyed all the activities that summer brought. Folks enjoying their time in crystal clear pools, eating ice cream, all in all enjoying the pleasures of the outdoors…well, as far as the city's concerned.

Having decided a days rest from training, would be good for the two teenagers, the two fighters decided to enjoy the day with their friend Erasa. The three were simply enjoying a small snack as they conversed.

"So how's the training going for you two?" questioned the bubbly blonde.

Sharpner who was leisurely sipping his drink while leaning in his chair simply shrugged the question off. Videl however offered her best friend an answer. "Meh, it's going. I haven't felt progress like this in a while."

"And that's not good?" Erasa asked, curious about Videl's lack of excitement. The blonde teen figured her best friend would be happy about improving.

Videl smiled at her as she answered, "It is but I'm really looking forward to this tower. I mean, if I actually climb it, it's like becoming a legend." Looking into the sky she continued, "There could only be like a hand full off people who probably managed that."

Erasa smiled at her long time friend. She had noticed that the spark in Videl was slowly growing dimmer. When they were young, the simple act of training always make her best friend happy. But now that spark seems to have come back just like that.

"So where's Nerd-Boy at?" Sharpner asked, finally speaking up.

Erasa glared at Sharpner for the nickname, before frowning sadly at the table. "No clue, I sent him multiple texts and tried calling but I'm just not getting a response. It was the same as yesterday."

Both Sharpner and Videl raised a brow in curiosity at this. "Well, why not try him again?" He's probably just busy with his head buried in a book." the muscular teen said, trying to cheer his friend up a little.

"I don't know, I really don't want to bug him. I really don't wanna be needy or anything."

This made Videl roll her eyes. "I doubt Gohan would even consider that, the guys as dense as a diamond," she said, earning a laugh out of her two friends.

Erasa smiled at Videl saying, "Yeah, guess you're right. I'll call him." Doing just that, she pulled out her phone and dialed Gohan's cell.

After several rings Erasa thought he wouldn't pick up, but when the ringing stopped she wasn't expecting the voice of a young boy. **"Hiya!"** the voice on the other end said.

Erasa blinked in confusion, earning her confused stares from her friends. "Um…Hi, This is Erasa. Is Gohan around?" they heard their friend question.

"_Weird, why is someone other than Gohan picking up his cell phone?"_ the three friends thought in bewilderment.

"**Big Brother's not here,"** answered Goten.

This made Erasa smile. She had heard of little Goten, but hasn't gotten the chance to meet him. "Oh, so you must be Goten? I'm Gohan's girlfriend. Do you know when your big brother will be home?"

"**Um, Big Brother always goes away on his birthday," **Goten said, sounding a little sad. **"Mommy says I will know when I'm older. But I don't know when comes back."**

This news shocked Erasa. The two teens, who could only hear one side of the story, only stared at the blondes wide-eyed expression. "Birthday!? Why wouldn't he tell me it's his birthday!?" she shouted into the phone, causing the 4 year old Saiyan to back away from the phone.

"**I d-don't know," **Goten replied sounding a bit sad. He really didn't like people shouting at him. It frightened him because his mother and Bulma would shout when someone was in trouble and mister Vegeta…well, he was just plain scary.

"Eh? S-sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I was just surprised," Erasa said after realizing her mistake. Yet Sharpner and Videl were equally curious. Why would Gohan not tell his friends about his birthday.

Before Erasa could question the boy any more she heard a voice calling through the other line. **"Goten! Why are you playing with your brother's phone? That isn't a toy."**

"**But Mommy~," **Goten whined, trying to plead his case, **"A girl called the phone and asked if Gohan is here."**

"**Ah girl?"** the person that sounded like Chi-Chi questioned.

"What's going on Erasa?" Videl asked her friend getting slightly impatient considering something strange was going on with Gohan. Erasa merely held up a finger to silence any questions.

"**Hello, who is this?" **came Chi-Chi's voice from the other line.

"Oh, hello Chi-Chi, it's Erasa. I was just trying to get a hold of Gohan."

Hearing this instantly cheered the mother of two up. **"Erasa, it's great to hear from you. How is everything? My son is always courteous to you I hope."**

Erasa smiled nervously while blushing. It always made her a little uneasy talking to Chi-Chi. Not only has Gohan mentioned her irrational, over exaggerated, rage, but even Videl mentioned the time she stormed into the hospital after their little 'accident'. "Um, yes everything is fine and Gohan's always a perfect gentleman. But, um, Goten just told me it was Gohan's birthday and well…" the blonde teen started saying, but drifted towards the end; not knowing what to say exactly.

She could hear Chi-Chi sigh loudly through the phone. **"I see that boy hasn't even told his new friends. Such a shame. Today is Gohan's birthday, but he'll be gone for a few days."**

Knitting her eyebrows in confusion she asked, "But why? Isn't he gonna celebrate with his family or go out with friends?"

Chi-Chi closed her eyes as she thought of her eldest boy and about what she should say to his friends. She was aware revealing too much could upset the boy or worse cause a rift between him and his new friends. **"I understand it is strange," **Chi-Chi started with a slight chuckle, **"Its been a few years since he's properly celebrated his birthday. I can't say much, but he prefers to spend this time of year by himself. This is the first year he's had friends his own age, so telling you about his birthday probably skipped his mind."**

This information was certainly strange. Why would anyone want to spend their birthday and the days following it all alone. "But why?" was all Erasa could manage to say. Her voice laced in a sad tone. Just what was it the three teens didn't know about Gohan.

"**I wish I could say, but that is for Gohan to explain when he feels ready," **Chi-Chi replied in an even sadder tone. **"But if he happens to drop by I will have him call you, alright?"**

This put a sad smile on Erasa's face. "Yeah…" she answered quietly before adding, "And tell him Happy Birthday from Videl, Sharpner, and me."

Chi-Chi smiled at this. It looked like Gohan was really making great friends, but even more importantly he was dating one of the girls. **"Of course I will, you kids stay out of trouble now."**

"Yeah, bye Chi-Chi," Erasa finished saying before hanging up. Looking forward she found her friends staring at her obviously itching to know what was going on with their friend. So she told them everything she found out from Goten and Chi-Chi. To say the other two were confused about Gohan spending his birthday alone, was an understatement.

"Weird, guess nerds like solitude on their birthday. Probably to study extra hard," Sharpner said, attempting to make a joke. Seeing as both girls gave him a glare, he obviously failed.

"_But Sharpner does have a point; it is strange. I've never met anyone who didn't enjoy their birthday. Although there are certain situations that would come to mind. Like losing a loved one on…" _Suddenly Videl's train of thought took a sudden halt as she had an epiphany.

* * *

><p><strong>[Son's Residence]<strong>

After hanging up Gohan's phone, Chi-Chi spent some time staring out of his bedroom window. She could understand why he would be like this on his birthday. His last birthday with his father was just before the Cell Games. Knitting her brows, Chi-Chi continued to think, _"That boy trains every birthday instead of enjoying it like he was suppose to. I know he understands why that father of his spent most of those days relaxing instead of training."_

Goten watched his mother curiously as she was silently moving her arms and making faces. Suddenly his mother shouted, "Enough of this!"

Thinking he was in trouble for staring, Goten quickly went bolting out of the door and straight outside. Chi-Chi on the other hand went to other business, stomping her way to the phone. Angrily punching in numbers, she muttered, "That boy will have a decent birthday whether he wants it or not."

After a few rings, an emotionless woman's voice answers. "Kame House, what do you want?"

Chi-Chi smiled upon hearing the androids voice. "Hi 18, it's Chi-Chi. I have a small favor to ask?" the mother of two said, while wearing a wicked grin that would scare any Saiyan.

* * *

><p><strong>[Kame House; 5mins Later]<strong>

On a small isolated island, in the pink house known as Kame House; Krillin was currently trying to convince his wife not to make him do this errand. "But 18~ This never worked before. How is this any different?"

18 simply glared at the monk, as Marron played in her lap. The former bald monk was now growing his hair back, currently it was quite short, but he keeps the front combed up into spikes. A style she figured he did to emulate his best friend Goku. "Krillin, this is your friend we're talking about," giving him another glare she simply order, "So go do it."

Master Roshi was outside on his lawn chair, hoping not to become subject to the sexy androids wrath. Although, he was thinking a few spankings wouldn't be too bad. Taking time away from his perverted thoughts, Roshi watched as Krillin lazily left the house and flew into the sky muttering something about being an errand boy. "Oh, that reminds me. Krillin! Pick me up a few things while you're out, will ya?"

Pausing mid-flight with a vein sticking out on his forehead, Krillin turned back and yelled, "Get your own girly mags old man," before blasting off into the sky.

"Ungrateful brats, show some respect for an old man," Roshi said after adjusting his lawn chair that was nearly blown away. Looking back into his magazine, he began to drool with a perverted face, muttering, "I needed DVD's too, Hihee~!"

* * *

><p><strong>[Capsule Corp; Around the same time]<strong>

"Damn it woman, why must you interrupt my training!?" came the ever happy Vegeta, from the large facility that was Capsule Corporation.

"Just do what I say or you won't have that precious GR of yours!" came an equally angry voice, coming from the blue haired heiress. "You keep shouting on about prince of your race, so go do something to help one for once.!"

"Woman, I…Damn…Argh!" Vegeta shouted as he blasted away from the compound, leaving a satisfied scientist behind. _"Well let's hope this actually works," _Bulma thought as she stared out of the window.

* * *

><p><strong>[Northern Wastelands; Cell Games Location]<strong>

High above the destroyed area that use to contain the Cell Games arena, the ever watchful Namekian, Piccolo watched as his pupil continue his furious training. Just below him was Gohan, powered up to a Super Saiyan, throwing vicious blows at a nonexistent opponent. Gohan's clothes were torn and small scratches adorned his skin; sweat beading from his brow. Piccolo knew well of Gohan's struggles in the past and how he used that as a tool for motivation, but couldn't help feeling disappointed in his pupil's naiveness.

Suddenly sensing two familiar power levels heading their way, both Piccolo and Gohan stopped what they were doing. Floating a little higher to where he was on Piccolo's level, the young Saiyan turned to his Namekian Mentor and asked, "What do you think their coming here for?"

The Namekian silently gazed in the direction Vegeta was approaching from. "If the almighty prince is involved, then nothing good," Piccolo calmly stated.

After a few minutes, Krillin was the first to arrive. "Yo, it's been a while. How's everything with you guys?" the monk asked, trying to seem friendly.

Gohan narrowed his eyes at his old friend, making Krillin sweat. "Fine. So what brings you here?" the young teen questioned suspiciously. _"The last time this happened, they were trying…"_

Vegeta bursting onto the scene, suddenly threw Gohan off his train of thought. "Alright Kakabrat, let's get this over with! Either I kick your ass or you take it home!" Vegeta spat angrily, not caring for doing unnecessary tasks. Piccolo simply rolled his eyes at his arrogance while Krillin sweat dropped at the rash Saiyan's bluntness.

This outburst caught Gohan completely off guard. With a puzzled expression he asked, "Mom knows I'll be home in a few days, so why are you here to make me go home?"

"Well Vegeta here doesn't want to be here, so let me explain," Krillin interjected. "Your mom sent us, to convince you to enjoy your birthday this year. Something about new friends too. But hey I'd be happy to celebrate too."

Krillin's smile slowly faded into a worried half smile as Gohan stared at him with a blank expression. Still staring at Krillin, the teen pointed a finger at Vegeta. "My mother sent Vegeta to convince me to enjoy my birthday," he simply inquired.

Krillin's face also took on a blank expression. "Well…" the monk started while turning to face Vegeta. "…Guess that wasn't the best idea she's had."

Suddenly both Krillin and Gohan burst into laughter. Vegeta stared mouth agape at the two. "Yeah maybe I can blow up a few cities, that'd be fun," Gohan managed to blurt out between laughter.

"No…No…Maybe you'd prefer spend your time moping in a Gravity Room," Krillin said jumping in. "Woman, a true Saiyan doesn't waste time on parties when he could be training," the monk added, doing his best imitation of Vegeta.

By now Vegeta was red in the face from anger of being insulted by these simple minded fools. Even Piccolo added a chuckle. Charging a small _Ki _blast in his hand, he fired it at Krillin's face while he shouted, "Enough! I don't care about the day you were born, so spend it however you want!."

Krillin's face having cleared of smoke after his unfortunate accident, muttered to himself, "Why is it always me?"

Not caring for the short monk's problems, Vegeta continued his rant, "But if that woman keeps bothering me about you not overcoming your idiot father's death, then I'll beat you till you forget!"

This made the other three warriors set a fixed stare on Vegeta. "Harsh Vegeta," Krillin commented.

Gohan eyed Vegeta for a moment before, letting out a sigh. "So it's all about this again," He said looking back at his three allies…well, when Vegeta feels like it.

"Brat, anyone here can see it," Vegeta started, speaking more calmly now. "You train because it might have given you the power to beat Cell without losing Kakarotto." Glaring at Gohan he said in a serious tone, "But you already had that power, you simply failed to utilize it. As a Saiyan you'd be laughed at, because you're afraid of your own power."

Piccolo closed his eyes as he let his pupil absorb the words that Vegeta had just spoken. Krillen looked at his friend, as Gohan stared at Vegeta slightly wide-eyed. Regaining his composure, Gohan looked at Vegeta with all seriousness. "You are right, Vegeta. I am scared of my power and for good reason."

"Good reason, Ha! You are just a coward," Vegeta spat back. "You lack control and you are afraid to attain it. The baldy is weaker, but if you don't transform, he could still beat you. He has near perfect control over his weak power."

"Hey! I'm not bald anymore," Krillin interjected, before adding, "And was that a compliment Vegeta?"

Without looking at the bald monk, Vegeta simply replied, "Still weak." Krillin just sighed taking whatever compliment he could get.

Deciding not to lose out to Vegeta's argument, Gohan retorted, "When I use my full-power I lose myself. I will never let that happen again, becoming like a Saiyan who delights in other's suffering, that's why I'll train to control it."

"Sorry kid, but pushing your limits for two days straight is not the kind of training you need," Piccolo said, finally having something to say. "There is still a lot I can teach you, but you are either insisting on training alone or doing this superhero thing. Just look at how your last ordeal went."

Looking at Piccolo with an angry stare Gohan replied, "And that's why I need control. I can't just go blowing humans up. Aliens are a different story, since we can't lock them up on Earth, but here humans have laws and they have the right to judge. Just because we are more powerful than them, doesn't make us gods."

Raising his hands in defense, Krillin also entered the conversation. "Whoa, Gohan, it's not like that. I heard about the incident in Satan City from Bulma. I think you handled that well. Not saying I wasn't a little surprised you were having trouble with average humans using technology, however incredible it was."

This made Krillin the next target of Gohan's glare, making Krillin squeak in fear. "Gohan listen to me," Piccolo once again said, gaining Gohan's full attention. "You want control, then I'll help, but I'm not going to keep watching over you if your going to throw away the things that you've fought for."

Once again adorning a puzzled expression, Gohan thought about his mentor's words. Vegeta on the other hand had enough of this. "I'm tired of this useless nonsense," he said in his ever threatening tone, "Kakabrat, grow a pair and get over it! You are a Saiyan and soon you'll hit your growth cycle. Learn to accept your heritage." With his final words said, the Saiyan Prince turned, muttering something about "not being bothered, unless the worlds about to blow", before he blasted off in the opposite direction from whence he came.

Now completely dumbfounded, Gohan could only question, "Growth Cycle?" Okay, he would definitely have to talk to Vegeta about that one later.

"For once I have to agree with his Egoness. I will protect the Earth, but from now on I'm staying out of your crime fighting business," Piccolo said, while turning to fly away. "If you want to train you know where to find me," were his final words before taking off to the Lookout.

Turning to the only one left, the young Half-Saiyan could only stare blankly, hoping his friend had something to offer. And luck would have it, Krillin did. "Well, in their own way, they are trying to help out," he said with an understanding smile. "Gohan, you've been through a lot. You were trained to fight in huge scaled battles that had planets on the line. I grew up training, never knowing those levels of power existed, but you were thrown right into it."

Gohan watched his friend curiously, waiting for him to continue. "There's not a day that goes by I don't think of the devastation our powers could cause, but I've had more time to hone my basics then you have," Krillin continued. "If I had to guess at what Piccolo and Vegeta were getting at was, I'd say train your basics to overcome your fear, but don't avoid your own happiness and change who you are because of it."

Gohan's face softened and took on a bit of sadness. "Hey, do you remember..?," Krillin started again, with a fond smile on his face catching the boy's attention. "…the day me and 18 told everyone about Marron?" This made the young half-breed match the fond reminiscent smile that his old friend wore. He remembered that day; it was one he would never forget.

* * *

><p><strong>[Year 769]<strong>

It had been nearly two years after the Cell Games. By some miracle Krillin had tracked down 18 a year prior. The whole gang was surprised when they found out they were dating, but were happy for their friend none the less. After a year everyone was accustomed to the android's presence at gatherings. Even Vegeta, who only promised to destroy the tin can if she ever caused trouble. Of course, hearing this coming from Vegeta gave everyone else a good laugh.

One Christmas everyone was gathered to celebrate, but of course this was the time that Gohan was still overcoming his father's death and was rarely in a festive mood. Having heard from Krillin the boy's reason for being so down in the past couple of years, 18 wasn't out of the loop as everyone concerned themselves over cheering the boy up. After some time of staring at the boy playing with his younger brother and the Brief's boy, 18 decided there may be something she could say to him. After all, she owed him.

Standing up and walking towards the young Half-Saiyans, 18 caught everyone's attention. Ignoring the stares 18 put on a very rarely seen smile and in her icy voice said, "I still haven't thanked you"

Staring at the android with confusion written all over his face, Gohan asked, "For what?"

Smile never leaving her face, 18 crouched down to Gohan's level. "For giving me a second chance at life, for allowing me to find someone," she started saying, cheeks tinted slightly pink. Krillin, who was watching from a little bit away, scratched his head in the Son manner he picked up from Goku. "And for giving children a future," she continued, grabbing Gohan's hand and placing it on her stomach, "my child a future."

Gohan's eyes widened in shock. Everyone else in the room went back and forth from 18 and Krillen. Even Piccolo and Vegeta were surprised. It had apparently been a surprise for later in the evening, but 18 felt like this would be a way to cheer Gohan up. After a comment from Vegeta about "How buckets of bolts can get pregnant?" and some clarification, 18 got Gohan to realize something. Even though his father had to sacrificed himself, there were still good things that came with his mistake. Gohan had been looking at only the negative. From then on 18 would only be openly kind to Gohan, and the two parents to be had decided to make Gohan their child's God Father.

* * *

><p><strong>[Present Time]<strong>

"Yeah…" Gohan began as the memory slowly faded to the back of his mind, "I see where you're coming from now, although I still don't think Vegeta and Piccolo really care about me training on my birthday."

"Well those two are never happy and know nothing about birthdays," Krillin stated matter-of-factly while swiping his hand through the air; brushing away any thoughts of that ever happening. The two friends shared a chuckle at this.

"I've kinda been ignoring this for a while, but Dad would want me to enjoy my birthday. I Know he tried to teach us to relax and enjoy life when you have the chance before he left us. Guess I was trying to make up for my mistake by showing him I'm still training."

Krillin smiled at his friend, sadly. "You shouldn't blame yourself, Gohan. I can think of a couple situations where your dad could have gotten us killed by letting bad guys off easy."

Smiling at Krillin, Gohan simply thought, _"But it's not the same when you're just torturing your enemy before you kill him."_

"Well then, I'll leave you to your thoughts. But try to talk to your mom, I don't want my wife killing me because I didn't do what I was supposed to," the monk finished saying, before offering a farewell and heading back home.

This left Gohan to his own thoughts. That is until they were interrupted by a new voice. One the boy knew all too well. **"I kinda have to agree with them, Son. I'm glad your training. And for the first year or two I thought it was a good way to self reflect,** **but now your just punishing yourself. You know I don't hold a grudge, right?"**

Smiling to himself with his eyes closed, Gohan stayed silent for a moment. "I know, Dad. I guess…I just wish Goten could grow up with you by his side. You were always there for my birthdays, minus a few unforeseen circumstances, but it doesn't feel fair that the little tyke doesn't get the same. I understand and respect your choice, it's just…I wish things could be different."

"**I understand, Son. I left you in a bad position and leaving my family behind was my only regret for dying…Well, that and not eating your mother's food again; man I miss that food!" **Goku said, slowly beginning to think about Chi-Chi's cooking. Snickering at his father's unnatural love for food, Gohan continued to listen to his father's words. **"Oh, but yeah…I know you'll do well in life, Gohan. I believe you can protect everyone and you've already begun to change the world for the better. You just need to keep looking ahead for your next adventure."**

Allowing his eyes to gaze into the sky, knowing he couldn't actually see his father, Gohan let a broad smile cover his features, "Yeah, Dad, I will."

"**Then can you make me a promise?" **Goku said, not quite sounding like the cheerful Saiyan he is.

Taking on a blank expression, the young Saiyan wondered what his dad would ask of him. "Sure, anything."

"**Promise me you'll become better than me and never leave our family behind,"** Goku stated more then asked.

Gohan blinked at his father's words. With a broad grin spreading over his face Gohan answered back, full of confidence and pride, "You will always be the greatest father in my eyes, but I will definitely keep that promise…for me and you."

"**Good, Son. Live life for the both of us. Talk to you later." **And with that Gohan could no longer hear his father's voice. _"Guess it's been a year since the last time we talked. I'm glad your still watching over us, Dad."_ With that final thought completed, Gohan smiled confidently before flying off to his new destination.

Gohan enjoyed the solitude and training on his birthday to a degree. It made him feel like he needed to push himself, like he was preparing for a battle along side his father, a feeling that drove him to protect the planet and the people he loved. But the others were right. He could get that kind of motivation from Piccolo or Vegeta, if he felt like it. The burden to protect the planet wasn't his own anymore. So for now he would enjoy life when the moment called for it. And boy did the moment call for it.

After arriving home and hearing an ear full from his mother, he found out his friends had called and were surprised to hear about his birthday. Calling Erasa back, he made plans to meet up with them in the city. Quickly cleaning up and changing clothes, he rocketed for Satan City; Chi-Chi watching with a smile, happy to have her other birthday boy back. After all, a child's birthday was a mother's favorite day, because it reminded them of how happy they were when they finally pushed them out; and watching them grow older and older, of course.

Gohan had to admit he was surprised when he arrived at Game World and nearly half the class was there. They had called everyone for a last minute birthday party. The teens played games, ate food, and laughed until night fell. Unfortunately the festivities ended when Chi-Chi called, demanding he come home. To say the teen was confused was an understatement. But upon arriving home, he was greeted by another group of friends that wanted to celebrate His birthday. The Kame House Residents, the Brief Family including Vegeta, Yamcha and Puar, Piccolo, and Dende were all present.. Krillin explained it was a little late to find Tien and Chiaotzu, but the young Saiyan was still happy. To think he had put off his birthday for so long. Goten seemed especially happy to finally get to tell his big brother happy birthday and give him a picture he drew for a present.

"_Yeah, certainly won't be missing out on this kind of fun anymore," _Gohan thought happily as he celebrated with his friends and family.

**AN: Okay so that took forever. I know, kill me, but hey I said it was hard for me to write. Still using a local computer that's not mine, plus work has been chaos. I barely feel like leaving my couch after work. Now this chapter should give some insight to gohan's struggle and why he was hesitant against the R.F.D.S. also Gohan isn't especially dark but that's because he deals with his inner turmoil at his own time. He's still genuinely joyful and kind but does get darker thoughts from time to time. The ending was kinda fast but none of the actual partying was really important. Well tried to throw a little humor in there, I'll see how that pans out. So now we are officially done with the Red Flag Saga. One last note, I've noticed I have been inconsistent with Gohan's age after rereading my story. In earlier chapters 15 and more recently 14. To make things clear he is officially 14 and just turned 15, his brother having turned 4 a couple months before him turning. Trunks is 5 and marron is about 3ish. I will be changing a couple of characters ages, but not anything drastic. Also sharpner turned 15 of screen before Gohan and Erasa and Videl's are still on the way. Also I have watched and reread some dragon ball stuff of when gohan was 4 and seemed exceptionally smart, so in my story dbz kids simply grow a bit fast especially saiyans. I feel many animes do this to not limit younger characters. By this I mean gotten and trunks are super saiyans, but have no idea how to actually use the power and you will find out how they attained it at such a young age later. As well as a few other things from this chapter will be addressed later, I.E. Goku talking to Gohan. Well enjoy, R&R, I'll try and have the next chapter out sooner.**


	26. Sacred Land of Korin

_**KORIN TOWER SAGA**_

_**Chapter 25: The Sacred Land of Korin**_

After two weeks of intensive training, Videl and Sharpner were finally prepared to face their greatest challenge yet. The two young fighters have pushed themselves to the limit and beyond in hopes of conquering Korin Tower. 20 mile runs, extreme weight workouts, hours of practicing their form, combined with sparring matches provided excellent results so far.

The four teens had decided to meet at Videl's for their departure. Currently three teens patiently awaited their fourth companion and the person who was providing their ride.

"Geez, why is he always late?" grumbled Videl, steadily growing more impatient.

Her mother smiled at her overenthusiastic daughter. "Now, now Videl. Korin Tower won't be going anywhere."

"Yeah V, he'll be here soon," added the ever chirpy blonde, trying to defend her boyfriend.

Sharpner was getting anxious about leaving as well, but decided to just keep quiet on the subject. Fortunately it didn't take long before the blonde boxer noticed a JetCamper in the distance. As the vehicle got closer he could only assume one thing. "Hey, I think he's here," Sharpner informed the three females of the group, while pointing a finger towards the incoming vehicle.

"Well it's about time," Videl nearly shouted, verbalizing her annoyance.

As the JetCamper landed, the boarding door opened, and a short moment later Gohan made his way out of the vehicle. Walking up to his friends, he took his father's signature pose and said, "Sorry I'm a little late guys. My mother and little brother were making a big fuss."

Erasa smiled and latched herself onto Gohan's arm. "See, he wouldn't be late without a good reason."

Videl rolled her eyes at her overly affectionate and forgiving best friend. Making her way to the JetCamper, she just waved it off and retorted, "Yeah, yeah, let's just get going." Turning to her mother with a smile, she added, "We'll be off now, see you when we get back."

Smiling back at her daughter, face full of pride, Victoria replied, "Right, you'll do great Videl. Do your best." Looking towards Sharpner, she threw in, "And you too Sharpner."

Throwing some hair over his shoulder, said blonde gave her a thumbs up, then proceeded to board the aircraft. Erasa quickly followed wanting to get a good look at the ride Gohan supplied. As Gohan made his way to follow his friends, he was stopped by a gentle hand on his shoulder. Turning to see the arm belonged to Mrs. Satan; the boy looked at her with curiosity.

Victoria smiled at the young Saiyan before she requested more than said, "Take care of them out there."

Gohan stood momentarily shocked, wondering why she would assume he could protect them. Instead of fighting it or questioning it, Gohan simply answered, "Right." And with a big grin in place jogged his way onto the JetCamper. Victoria smiled fondly as the aircraft rose into the air, before flying off into the West. She could only imagine the adventures these kids were about to experience. _"Good Luck,"_ she thought as she watched the small dot disappear into the distance.

* * *

><p><strong>[With Gohan's Group]<strong>

As the young teens left Satan City, Gohan typed the coordinates into the computer and set it to auto pilot. "Alright, this thing isn't all that fast, so it will take about twelve hours to get there," Gohan announced as he stood and turned to his friends.

"Cool we can just hang out and have some fun then," Erasa replied, cheerful as ever.

Sharpner just gave a shrug and looked around the camper to see what all they had. Videl on the other hand wasn't too thrilled to be stuck in one place for too long. "Maybe I should have flown in my JetCopter afterall," She simply muttered to herself, as she crossed her arms.

Hugging her best friend around the waist, Erasa said, "Cheer up V. I know your pumped for this, but for now lets enjoy ourselves a little. It's still summer break."

Erasa's little pick-me-up speech got the boys' attention as well. Seeing all three of her friends looking at her with smiling faces, Videl couldn't help but crack. Letting out a sigh with a small smile on her face, she replied, "Yeah you're right," As her smile grew she added, "Let's have some fun." And with that the four teens began to explore the camper which had everything from a large stocked fridge, a stove oven, decent sized bathroom, and two bunk beds. For the more entertaining side they had cards and bored games, a TV, game station, and various books.

As the time flew by, no one noticed the sky grow dark outside. The sudden sound of the computer beeping caught the teens attention. Getting in the pilot's seat, Gohan saw that they were nearing their destination. "We're almost there but I think it would be best to set down somewhere for tonight," Gohan informed his friends.

Looking at the time, the teens realized it was already 8:35pm. "Yeah, it's gotten pretty dark. We'll get a fresh start in the morning. Sound good to you two?" Videl said, turning to the two blondes.

Sharpner once again gave his signature shrug and said, "Fine with me."

"Doesn't matter to me," Erasa added cheerfully.

Hearing their replies, Gohan took over the controls and landed the JetCamper. Suddenly Erasa pulled out a deck of cards and turned to her friends. "Alright guys. Time for a game of cards before bed," she declared with a grin. The three teens simply grinned in return and sat at the table ready to play. Before long the three teens finished their game, in which Sharpner had an unrelenting losing streak, and went to sleep.

As Videl was drifting off to sleep, she could still feel her excitement grow. _"I'll definitely get stronger,"_ were her final thoughts before succumbing to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>[The Next Day]<strong>

Getting an early start that morning, Gohan awoke first out of the small group. After washing up, brushing his teeth, and grabbing a light snack; Gohan started up the JetCamper. As he was getting ready to get back on course for the tower, Videl walked up behind him.

"You're up early," Videl commented with a yawn, drowsiness still having an affect on her.

Gohan turned to her with a smile and said, "Yeah we'll be there in about an hour, so I figured I'd let everyone sleep for a bit."

Stretching, Videl simply replied, "I'll just get ready before those two wake up. Wait until you see them fight over a mirror."

Hearing Gohan's light laughter made Videl smile as she was turning to get ready for her day ahead. Roughly an hour of flying and some arguing between the two blondes later, The group was seated at the front of the camper as they approached their destination. Their eyes stared out at the horizon as a forest slowly became visible in the distance. As they drew closer, Gohan could already see the tower with his advanced eyesight. But it was Videl who spotted it first out of the other three teens.

"There, I see it!" the raven haired girl screamed out of excitement.

As the blondes noticed it as well, their faces instantly fell into awe. Approaching the Land of Korin, one could already see the staggering heights of this tower as it shot out of the ocean of forest beneath it. To the teens from the city this was a spectacle to behold.

"I've never seen so many trees," Erasa said with her eyes wide, then added, "Except maybe on TV."

With his jaw hanging wide open, Sharpner could barely counter her statement but managed to say. "Trees? The tower…even from here I can't see the top. And we're…supposed to…climb…"

As Sharpner's sentence hung in the air, Videl's brain was trying to digest what she was seeing. _"I can see why Sharpner is shell-shocked. How can it even be possible to climb that tower?"_

Being the only one not stunned by the sheer sight of these sacred lands, Gohan began to descend near the border of the forest. As their newest friend was landing the three teens snapped out of their shock to look at him. Of course Videl was the first to voice her objections. "Why are you landing Gohan? There's still a long ways to go," she said with a frown and slight irritation in her voice.

"Because this big vehicle will be hard to land in the forest. Plus your mother even said that there were natives living at the base of the tower. If we come flying in out of no where it would be rude," Gohan simply explained as they set down.

Erasa's face changed from one of confusion to understanding. "Oh you're right Gohan. Good thing you're such a smarty," she said and gave the Saiyan a hug.

Sharpner nodded with his arms crossed and replied, "Makes perfect sense."

Videl looked thoughtful for a moment before she smiled, "Well looks like we're hiking. At least I can get a little more training in."

Gohan grinned at his friends and said, "That's the spirit. Then let's pack up some supplies and get going. Looks like we might get there in about two days or so."

The three city teens frowned lightly at the prospect of that much slow walking, but they knew it wasn't all bad. Camping with friends has it's benefits as well. So without wasting time the group of young adventure seekers packed up what they could, capsulated their JetCamper, and began their journey into the forest.

* * *

><p><strong>[Elsewhere in The Land of Korin]<strong>

Deep in the forest, in the middle of a small clearing just a short distance away from Korin Tower, sat an large man. He wore only a pair of deerskin pants, matching shoes, a bangle around each arm, a bear tooth necklace, and a feather upon his head . The man's dark skin, was almost caramel in color. His massive muscles were adorned by some minor scars, the only major one being the cross shaped scar on his right pectoral muscle. The slightly aged face of this man was cover in tribal paint across his cheeks and nose.

Silently he stared into the skies towards the tower. For a long time he's been guarding that tower and the land surrounding it. For the most part it was peaceful, although from time to time some group comes along to claim the land and some come to challenge the towers legend. As he was deep in thought a figure approached him from behind.

"Father, is something wrong," said a man who wore the same clothes with the addition of a vest and a bow and quiver slung onto his back. He was obviously much younger and not nearly as large as his father, but his muscles showed he was certainly no slacker when it comes to exercise. He watched his father with a slightly worried frown.

After a brief silence, the man spoke to his son. His voice much deeper than his sons, one that carried strength of will and conviction. "The land is suddenly calm, no longer do I feel a bad omen left by our last unfortunate guests." Turning to his son with a smile, the man continued with confidence, "I feel good things will soon come to our small village."

The man's son smiled back before looking off into the distance at the tower. _"Yes Father, I too feel the winds of change. My body is almost trembling with excitement."_

* * *

><p><strong>[Midday; With Gohan and Fiends]<strong>

The young group of teens have been walking for several hours. At first the three city teens were almost mesmerized by the nature surrounding them. The air smelled fresh with hints of wild flowers and fruits mixed in. The large, towering trees covered the forest floor with a bounty of shade, allowing for some relief from the summer heat. The sounds of nature were soothing to the ear. All in all it the beauty of it was breathtaking.

But before long Gohan's companions began complaining about the slow progress. Videl and Sharpner were especially anxious to do something worthwhile with their time. Not really paying attention to the complaints, the young Demi-Saiyan off-handedly mentioned walking on their hands if they wanted to train so badly. All though being slightly thrown off guard by the suggestion, the two fighters soon found it was a good way to travel and train simultaneously.

"Geez Sharpy, can't you go any faster?" Erasa complained after looking back at her two friends for the hundredth time. Although Erasa and Gohan were going at a decent pace for average people, Videl was doing well to keep up while walking on her hands. Sharpner on the other hand didn't have the balance Videl did and there fore was lagging behind.

A grunt was heard from the blonde teen, before he replied, "This isn't easy you know? Why don't you try it?"

Erasa simply folded her arms beneath her chest, lifting it slighty, and turned away. "Well I'm not the one training, so either walk normally or keep up."

Walking slightly ahead of the group, Gohan sweat dropped. _"Looks like everyone's getting a little irritable."_ Turning to his friends the young Saiyan said, "We should probably get another hour of walking in before we set up camp for the night. Don't want it getting dark on us."

Sighing in relief, Erasa smiled and said, "Good I'm really getting tired of walking."

"Yeah, and I can get some real exercise in before dinner," Videl added.

As promised, an hour later, they found a good clearing to set up a campfire and their tents. As Gohan and Erasa prepared the group dinner, the other two teens, did some exercises and finished off with a light spar. Though both teens were surprised when Videl sent the obnoxious blonde flying into a tree. Night quickly fell and knowing they would have to walk quite far the next day, the group of teens decided to catch some early zees.

The next day was spent the same way. Videl and Sharpner were still traveling on their hands as Gohan and Erasa lead their way. Well mostly Gohan. It was lunch time when the group of friends decided to take a break from walking. While Gohan was busy finishing off the rest of their lunch, the other three sat around and talked.

"Wow, it really is nice out here," Erasa commented to no one in particular.

Videl was sitting with her legs out, leaning back on her arms for support. Smiling as she gazed upon Korin Tower from the distance. "Yeah, peaceful and relaxing. I can see why Gohan's family lives in the wilderness now," Videl replied as she looked at their spiky-haired friend in question. Gohan simply smiled at her with a mouth full of food, before continuing his lunch.

Sharpner was just laid sil;ently on the ground, arms tucked behind his head, eyes closed. He agreed with his friends but felt commenting on it was pointless.

Suddenly, the bushes nearby rustled, putting the group of teens on alert. Sharpner sat up from his position, Videl visibly tensed up, and Erasa slid a bit closer to her boyfriend. Gohan, being ever oblivious, looked at his friends in question before he swallowed his mouth full of food.

"Relax guys, it's probably just some animals nearby that smelled our food," Gohan said casually standing up with a piece of bread in his hand. His three friends watched curiously as he made his way over to the rustling bush.

"Wait Gohan, it could be a dangerous animal," Videl tried to warn, which made Erasa a bit uneasy. She wouldn't want Gohan being eaten by some wild Tiger.

However, Gohan didn't listen as he knelt down and broke off small pieces of bread and spread it out along the ground in front of him. The other three watched with awe as small rabbits and a few squirrels came out of the woodworks to snatch some bread before nibbling away on their newly acquired food. Soon after some birds flew down, one even perching on Gohan's shoulder, which the young teen happily supplied with some bread as well.

"Amazing," was all that escaped Erasa's lips as she watched her boyfriend feed the wild life of the area. Videl and Sharpner were also stunned. Here was their newley acquired nerd friend, surrounded by animals, who had no qualms in climbing the young teen like a tree. The whole picture just seemed so serene. Suddenly Erasa stood up and made her way over to Gohan, but the unexpected action frightened away the little critters.

"Awe~, why'd they run away?" Erasa questioned, clearly disappointed.

Gohan chuckled at the poor blonde before giving an answer, "You scared them. If they feel intimidated or you move too quickly they'll run off. You need to be at ease and make them feel at ease."

Erasa listened to Gohan's explanation and it made sense. Her boyfriend was so nice even animals liked him. But it was Erasa who commented first, "Wow, Nerd-Boy. Guess we got a regular nature boy on our hands, Maybe I should call you Tarzan."

Gohan looked quizzically at his blonde friend as he laughed at his own joke. Noticing his confusion, Erasa simply said, "It's just some story book character. Don't worry about Sharpner, most people don't think his jokes are funny."

This made aforementioned blonde to send a scowl at Erasa. Videl in the mean time was thinking to herself, _"I've been so focused on climbing the tower, I hadn't even noticed. Gohan has been taking charge of the trip so far. He is more accustomed to being in this environment, but he's really seems at ease. Not as shy and nervous_ like in school. This side of him isn't bad at all."

As their lunch came to an end, the young travelers continued on their way to the base of the tower. Gohan informed them that they should reach it by tomorrow afternoon. The day quickly faded into night as the teens set up camp. The tower now looking larger than ever, Videl felt like she could reach out and almost touch it. Trying to drift off to sleep Sharpner, lay in his tent, thinking only one thing, _"I won't fail. I can't fail. I have to find out what I'm really capable of."_ Up until now Sharpner had been acting confident about climbing the tower. But he also knew it scared him. To fail and reach a limit, to watch Videl grow stronger and more unreachable, to never find the path he is suppose to walk. Sharpner knew he was capable of more than just being a muscular jock, he just needed to find that something and he believed this was the first step to get there.

* * *

><p><strong>[The Next Day; Almost Noon]<strong>

Knowing this was the last stretch before reaching the base of the tower, Videl and Sharpner decided to walk normally to conserve some energy. The group of four walked down a path that the young Demi-Saiyan calculated would take them directly to the tower.

"Looks like we'll be there soon. I can't wait," Erasa said watching the tower grow ever closer.

Videl smirked confidently as she responded, "Yeah, me neither."

"I wonder how…" Erasa started as she tried to start a conversation with her best friend. But when she ran into Gohan's arm which suddenly shot out in front of her, stopped any talk and halted the groups movement. Videl only caught a glimpse of Gohan's stern face as he stared out into the surrounding forest, before a spear shot out and stuck into the ground several feet in front of them.

"_What the…"_ Videl thought, before her thoughts were interrupted by a voice the sounded from all around the forest. "What business do you have on this Sacred Land of Korin!" the disembodied voice shouted.

**A/N: well that took way longer than I wanted it to. Sorry for all those who waited so patiently. Well this one's kinda short (again I feel like this should have been out sooner, blame my work). So little starter for the Korin Tower Saga, soon we'll get to see Upa and Bora again**. **also just a reminder im changing many power levels in this story, even Roshi's will be higher than in canon. Currently Videl is roughly 250ish and sharpner is about to crack two hundred. This is do to gohan giving them energy making their bodies more attuned to use ki subconsciously and the training they've done with weighted equipment which I'll also mention in the story. Upa will also be significantly stronger, of course I've already mentioned he climbed Korin Tower like he promised goku he would. I've really been itching to get past this saga and to some more interesting one's but hopefully I don't rush too much, although I guess a little rush couldn't hurt considering how long ive been taking to update. In any case this chapter is unedited and I feel I rushed the end a little bit. Can't think of anything else to add so well read, review, and enjoy. **


	27. Tribe of Natives

_**KORIN TOWER SAGA**_

_**Chapter 26: Tribe of Natives**_

"It looks like we'll be there soon, I can't wait," Erasa said watching the tower grow ever closer.

Videl smirked confidently as she responded, "Yeah, me neither."

"I wonder how…" Erasa started to say before Gohan's arm suddenly shot out in front of her. The group responded by coming to a quick stop. Videl only caught a glimpse of Gohan's stern expression as he stared out into the surrounding forest, before a spear shot out and stuck into the ground several feet in front of them.

"_What the…"_ Videl thought, before her thoughts were interrupted by a voice that sounded from all around the forest. "What business do you have on the Sacred Land of Korin!" the disembodied voice shouted.

Erasa hastily took cover behind Gohan, only peeking out to see what was happening. Videl and Sharpner took defensive stances, eyes focused on the surrounding forest for any movement. Gohan lowered his arm to his side as his features gained a neutral expression. His friends looked in confusion as the raven haired teen continued to stare at the path ahead.

Before long a rustling noise alerted the group as several people emerged from the shrubbery that surrounded the path. The mysterious dark skinned group of people all wore clothes fashioned out of deer skin, feathers in their headbands, and had assorted facial markings. These were obviously warriors as they carried bows, axes, or spears. The head of the group stood out among these tribal warriors, a man who looked young but could be in his early thirties. He was on the taller end of his people but his muscles were far more toned. He easily matched Sharpner's mass but with his stature it was far more fitting.

He made himself known as the leader when he took a few steps forward to speak. "We are the guardians of these lands," he said in an authoritative tone, although his voice softened a bit when he took a good look at the four teens. "Why have you come here?"

Stepping forward, Gohan spoke for his group. "Hi, my name is Gohan," he said calmly with a friendly smile, holding out his hand for the man. Videl and Sharpner dropped their guard, surprised about their friend's casual approach. Erasa simply smiled awkwardly while trying to stay close to Videl.

The native man looked at Gohan with surprise, before he broke out in a friendly smile of his own. "My name is Upa," he said as he extended his hand to shake with Gohan's.

After the friendly exchange Gohan went on to explain why they were going to Korin Tower. "So you see they've been working really hard, so will you allow them to try climbing the tower?" the young Saiyan finished.

Upa looked thoughtful with a hand rubbing his chin as the spoke, "Yes, I remember Victoria. She was a good person, but quite curious." Hearing this made Videl slightly blush, knowing she has inherited her mother's curious nature. "But they can try it. We don't judge who can and can't climb the tower. We protect the land and guide spirited fighters who take up the challenge, although recently we've been having a bit of trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Videl suddenly asked. Her crime fighter side was starting to take over.

Erasa simply giggled at her best friend, while Sharpner palmed his forehead. Gohan on the other hand was a bit surprised, _"Wow, this girl never takes a break."_

Upa smiled fondly at the raven-haired girl. "You have a good heart, but these are not your concerns," he said before turning towards his group. "We'll lead you to our village at the base of the tower."

The teens quickly followed after the warriors with Erasa quick to start conversations with them to learn everything she could. Of course with her conversational "skills" it wasn't too hard. Even Sharpner questioned the stronger looking guys what kind of training they do. Videl on the other hand was content looking at the tower as it grew closer. She knew with this stepping stone she'll become much stronger, but could she do it.

"Nervous?" Gohan unexpectedly inquired. He was walking right next to her with his hands interlaced behind his head. Looking at him, she couldn't tell what he was thinking. His face was blank, no emotion. She still hasn't figured out how he does that when on a normal basis he can't lie or keep his facial expressions together.

"_But in rare moments he seems…really mature," _she thought absentmindedly. "Maybe a little," she admitted.

This time it wasn't hard to tell what he was thinking. His wide-eyed stare, the disbelieving look in his eye, and the fact that he nearly fell as they walked gave it away. If it wasn't because of something she said, she would have laughed. "And what's with your face?" Videl asked in a slight growl, as she prepared her fist to deliver a punch.

This time she watched as a mischievous smile spread across his lips and an amused twinkle appeared in his eye. "Oh~ The great Videl Satan admitting to being nervous?"

A crimson blush quickly spread across a mortified Videl's face, whether from embarrassment or anger. "You ..!" she began to scream before Gohan flicked her forehead, and luckily for her Gohan was holding back. The raven haired girl wore a pout while she rubbed her forehead. She was surprised it actually hurt a bit. "What was that for?" she questioned almost like a child.

Gohan, continued walking with his hands in his pockets. A small smile graced his lips as he said, "You worry too much…" This made Videl frown and cross her arms. "School, Police work, training, spending time with family and friends, how can I help this person, am I strong enough, will I fail, is it true. I may not have known you for too long but that's what I've seen." Looking straight at her his smile grew into a grin. "If you really want to become stronger, do it for yourself and focus only on yourself. Right now you should only think about climbing the tower."

This time Videl was left speechless. He was right. _"I've only been thinking about the tower as training. Slowly I've been thinking about how strong I'll be and if it will help me in the future. But this tower is right in front of me, I need to focus on that and only that,"_ she thought with a determined expression.

Unbeknownst to the teens, Upa was watching them curiously. The one who gained the most of his attention was the dark haired teen. The wild spikes, the innocent nature, it seemed all too nostalgic. _"We have some interesting guests this time Father," _Upa thought as he continued to lead the group to the village.

* * *

><p><strong>[Base of Korin Tower]<strong>

It didn't take long for the group to reach the base of the tower. Gohan and his friends wore awed expressions when they walked into the large clearing filled with tents of varying sizes. Many of the natives were walking about doing their daily chores. Some women were mixing various herbs, others cooking, and some tending to children. Some of the men were cutting firewood and sharpening their weapons. There were small groups simply talking among themselves and children running around playing. Korin Tower was the center piece of the peaceful scenery. The elegant structure shot out of the ground, reaching high above the clouds, covered in artistic tribal carvings.

"Wow, this place is so nice," Erasa commented as the soothing calmness of the village overtook her.

Videl and Sharpner nodded their heads in agreement. Having spent all their lives in the big city, none of them had ever seen such a tranquil community. The idea of no one committing some crime was pretty foreign.

"Yeah, you have a good village here Upa," Gohan said turning to his new friend with grin.

Upa returned the gesture with a friendly smile of his own, but before he could speak his thanks a loud voice spoke.

"Upa, you've returned; with some guests I see," said the deep, calm voice. The teens and Upa turned their attention towards a large muscular man with a large scar on his chest, wearing a calm frown, and his attire matched that of the other tribal folk. As he walked towards them, Erasa shrunk back behind Gohan, being intimidated by the brutish looking man. Videl and Sharpner simply tensed up.

The native warrior stepped up to his father to introduce their guests, when another voice interrupted him.

"Hi, I'm Gohan," said the young Half-Saiyan with his Son grin in place which shocked not only his friends, but Upa as well. Looking at his father, the Chief's son knew he saw a resemblance as well. That innocent friendly grin was one of a kind.

With the friendly smile that spread over the daunting man, the other three teens felt more at ease. "My name is Bora, it is an honor to meet you and welcome to the Land of Korin," said the large Chief.

"This is my father, the Chief," Upa informed the four teens before turning to his father to continue. "And these three are Erasa, Videl, and Shartner," he said as he motioned to the three respectively. The sudden laughter of Gohan and the girls caught him by surprise however.

Both father and son looked towards the blonde boy who was looking quite mortified. "Hey Buddy, the name's SharPner, with a P, Sharpner," the boy proclaimed, making sure to emphasize the letter P.

With a look of guilt, Upa put a hand to his head and bowed apologetically. "My apologies, I'll be sure to remember it properly," He replied, still not understanding the laughter and embarrassment.

"Nice, I'm gonna remember that one for later," Erasa said in between breaths and small giggles.

"Yeah, can't believe I've never thought of it," Videl added to embarrass her blonde friend further. Gohan, having hung out with Sharpner and his buddies, has come to learn some teenage slang and curses. He found this quite funny and just laughed.

After the teens got over Sharpner's introduction mishap, they were led on a small tour through the village where they were kindly greeted by the natives. The tour ended at the base of the Tower.

"And this, as you know, is Korin Tower. For generations my family has been in charge of guarding these lands and await a warrior who could climb the tower," Bora informed as he finished the tour.

Surprisingly all four teens were interested in what Upa and Bora had to say during their tour. Sharpner was mostly fascinated with the manliness of living on the land and being a warrior. Erasa got hooked on the clothes and the natural shampoos they made. Videl was awed that so many people could live so peaceful and in harmony with nature. Gohan…well he was simply interested in what became of the two he had heard about from his father's adventures.

"But things changed many years back when I was just a boy," Upa said drawing in his small audience. He could see these were good kids and knowing what two of them were aspiring to do, he felt he should inspire them. "You see one day some bad men came to our land searching for something. This turned out to be a small round orb, almost like a beautiful jewel." At this Gohan smiled, interested in hearing this story from another perspective. He'd always heard stories from his father and his friends, but hearing it from the people they met, that's different.

The other three teens were sitting at the edge of their seats, if they had seats, waiting for the Chief's son to continue.

"This orb was sought after because of the magical power it possessed; the power to grant a wish," Upa informed with enthusiasm. Suddenly three of the teen's faces took on a look of skepticism. Undeterred by the teens, the native warrior continued.

"I can understand if you don't believe me. I was just a boy at the time when my father and I happened across this treasure, but the bad men seeking the wish also found us. My life was saved thanks to a boy not much older than myself. He explained to us the power of the wish and the reason he was searching for them."

"He probably wanted some cool toy," Sharpner suggested with a shrug.

With a punch in the arm and a sharp glare, Videl managed to silence her obnoxious blonde friend. Despite the absurd notion of a magical ball that grants wishes, she was quite interested in this man's story. Her mother, told her to be open minded when meeting with the natives.

"No, in fact the wish was not his goal. You see the ball we found was one of a set of seven and only by gathering all seven can your wish be granted. The boy, who soon became an unforgettable friend, was searching for _one_ ball specifically; a memento that was very important to him." Hearing this made the three teens smile. A boy searching for a precious memento was quite admirable, although foolish. "Despite the orb we found being the one my friend was searching for, things soon turned very bad. A truly evil man was sent in search of the balls in the boy's possession. They sent a mercenary of, at that time, unmatched strength."

"At that time?" Erasa questioned curiously, which earned a knowing grin from Upa.

"Yes," Bora began to speak and continued off where his son left off. The teens didn't miss the saddened smile that took over Upa's features. "Since this man was of pure evil it was my obligation to remove him from our lands, but despite my strength, I was not but a fly to this man," Bora admitted with a slightly shamed smile. The three teens were slack-jawed at the massive man's confession. Though, Gohan knew exactly what Upa and Bora spoke of so in turn knew what would happen next. This and the fact Gohan's reactions were different from his three friends, didn't go unnoticed by the two tribal warriors.

"_What the…? Who could treat this huge guy like a fly,"_ was the thought the three city teens shared.

Taking the story back into his hands, Upa continued, "My father was killed with his own spear before I knew what happened."

This bit of news was more than a shock for the three teens, but the shock quickly formed into annoyed disbelief. "That's a nice story, but your father is sitting right there," Videl pointed out with an accusatory glare.

Her reply was a bright smile from Upa. "Our friend was quite angered by the death of my father and was surprised when he charged at the man with all he had." Although Videl wasn't satisfied with being ignored, the three teens resumed listening with more criticizing thoughts in mind. "Although he fared better than my father against this assassin, the boy soon fell just as my father had. Or so I believed. While the man spared my life do to being a mere nuisance, he took only three of the four spheres in the boy's possession. The last was hidden away beneath his shirt where the man delivered the final blow, which in turn saved the boys life. After recovering, my friend knew this man would return for the ball he still possessed. In order to become strong enough to face this foe, he decided to climb the tower."

This made the three teens focus more on the story again. _"Maybe this questionable story was just meant for motivation,"_ thought the blonde beauty, hoping this would inspire her two friends. Whether the story was true or not didn't matter to Erasa, she was really enjoying it.

"So this kid actually climbed the tower?" Videl questioned skeptically.

"Wait do these magic ball things have a name?" Sharpner asked, slightly interested in the possibility of a wish.

Upa calmly smiled at the curious teens. "They are called Dragon Balls and yes, my friend was the first who my father and I know of that managed to climb the tower. Just as the evil mercenary returned seeking the Dragon Ball, my friend returned; only four days after he began climbing. This time the battle was just as one sided," Upa told them, causing a chain-reaction of disappointed faces from the three teens. "The only difference was, the one dominating the fight was my friend." With that Upa managed to gain an awed glimmer of hope to shine in the young teen's eyes. _"As absurd as this story sounds if there is any truth to this then…I could really become stronger" _thought the raven-haired crime fighter.

"After the mercenary was defeated, my friend swore to me he would find all seven Dragon Balls and use the wish to revive my father. I was young and had little knowledge of the outside world, so unlike you young ones I had no reason to doubt his words or the magic these balls held," Upa told them in hopes of opening their minds. Though Videl was still skeptical of the validity of this man's story, the two blondes were less doubtful. All three teens could agree that they may not know as much about the world as they may have liked to believe, but magic? "To retrieve the final ball, we had to seek out a wise and frightening fortune teller. After battling her warriors in place of paying a large sum of money, my friend managed to find the Dragon Ball and with it we returned here were my father lay. Till this day I could never forget what I saw, as he gathered the seven balls right in this very spot," Upa said as he looked at the ground on which they all stood. Erasa gulped, getting drawn into the pace of the story. Even Videl began to forget her earlier doubt. "Although it was mid-day, the sky grew dark; lightning flared, and from these magical balls a dragon arose."

"Dragon," the three teens mimicked.

"Yes a dragon as large as the tower, maybe bigger," The native warrior said, hands raised to the sky to emphasize the size. "My friend spoke without fear and kindly asked the dragon to bring my father back to life. With all my heart I prayed then with a confirmation and a flash of the dragon's eyes, my father burst from the ground where I buried him."

At this point the three teens were frozen in wonder, but the deep voice of Upa's father caught their attention. "I remember clearly being dead, though my memory of what was beyond was vague at best. Seeing my son again and hearing the unbelievable tale from him, I was deeply grateful for what our young friend had done and amazed at the possibilities the world held. My son swore he would become strong just like that boy and he would climb the tower as well. Meeting that mysterious boy riding atop a golden cloud changed our lives forever."

"Unfortunately, I only met him once after that," Upa began again. "But in my youth I met other warriors who also managed to climb the tower…five to be exact."

"Five! So how many people have climbed this tower?" Videl question eagerly, surprised to find that there were quite a few who managed this task.

Sharpner was getting eager as well, "Yeah, and why doesn't anyone know about this? I mean…They would be really strong right?"

Gohan was a bit on edge with the curiosity the blonde teen jock brought forth. _"If Videl picks up on this and asks for names…" _Gohan thought as he started to panic. Everyone that climbed the tower was someone Gohan knew.

"Well I don't know what became of them after, but nine people including me have climbed this tower since my time," Upa informed with a smile.

"_Or not…wait Dad, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yajirobe, who knows how many centuries ago Roshi climbed the Tower so Upa, and…"_ No matter how much Gohan thought about it he could only account for six. _"That means there are two fighters who have climbed this tower I don't know."_

While Gohan was busy with his own thoughts. Videl and Sharpner were getting filled with aspiration. Now they knew this goal was achievable, if only by a few.

"So how long did it take you?" questioned Erasa curiously. Her two long time friends quickly focused back on Upa, feeling slightly dimwitted for not asking themselves. They were the ones climbing the tower after all.

With a thoughtful expression, Upa replied, "The entire journey took me about four months."

"Four months!" Videl shouted in shock. Sharpner's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. The other blonde had sweat run down her brow and felt like fainting just from the thought of climbing for four months.

"Yes well, I was a bit older than you. But the true journey lies at the top of the tower. I never even shared what lied above to my tribesmen. The courage to climb without knowing what lies before you is just another test of the tower."

Gohan smiled when Upa said this. These tribal warriors took this tower seriously and held all the keys to make a strong fighter. _"It's no wonder these people are as strong as they are. With proper training they would be amazing."_

Sharpner and Videl shared eye contact as they contemplated all they heard, Erasa watched on slightly anxious. This was the moment, to decide whether to move forward or back down. Videl just couldn't bring herself to just say she could do it. For the first time in a long time, no…maybe her entire life, this is the single most difficult obstacle that stood before her. As Gohan watched his friends come to a decision, he felt he needed to help and give them some confidence. He was sure they had the capability or were at least close enough to overcome those limits. What they needed now was confidence and unbreakable spirit.

"A test!" The spikey-haired teen suddenly shouted, which garnered everyone's attention. Everyone looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

Upa, being confused as he was, managed to reply, "Yes a test of courage."

Gohan smiled brightly at him and said, "Not that test."

"Geez Nerd-Boy it's summer, so you don't have to worry about any tests for school. Have you even been listening?" Sharpner said as he put him in a weak head-lock.

Erasa just giggled at the poor Half-Saiyan, while Videl crossed her arms in a huff. Gohan sweat-dropped as he pulled out of the blonde boy's head-lock. "Not that kind of a test. A test for you two," explained the young Saiyan while he gestured to the two fighters.

Videl stared at him with curiosity, while Upa smiled at the prospect; having caught on to what Gohan was suggesting.

"What kind of test did you have in mind, Gohan," Erasa asked curiously.

Gohan had never climbed Korin Tower; at least he never had a need to, so there was no way to gage just how strong they had to be. But Upa has climbed it. "Well," Gohan started with a smile. "If Videl and Sharpner spar against Upa, then he should be able to judge whether you two are strong enough to climb the tower."

Upa smiled brightly at the idea. "I would be happy to."

Videl was actually quite stunned, it was brilliant. "Told ya, having a smarty like Gohan around would be great. Can't solve everything by hitting it," Erasa said with a nudge to Videl's side.

"Yeah, Yeah, but we still have to go easy. We can't climb the tower if we're all banged up." Videl replied with a roll of her eyes, before she added with a pointed glare towards Erasa, "And I don't try to solve _everything_ by hitting it. Though most things usually work out when I do."

"Take it easy and we'll rest here tonight. Then you can get a fresh start in the morning," suggested Gohan.

Sharpner grinned at the idea. "Yeah sounds good to me. Let's do it Videl."

Videl matched him with her usual competitive grin, "Alright I could use some experience against different fighters. But we'll do it one on one."

"Sounds good, I'll be able to test each of you properly," Upa agreed with a smile.

"Well this should be interesting. You are never this anxious to fight, Upa," came a female voice near the group. The teens turned to find a woman not much taller than Erasa making her way towards them. She was slim, beautiful; her face had a calming charm to it. Although she was a bit on the short end you could tell she was a grown woman since she was quite well endowed, which was accented by the child on her waste pressing against them. Gohan and Sharpner both tried to avert their eyes inconspicuously, while Videl blushed. Erasa just wondered if she'd be as buxom when she grew up. Seems the natives here weren't all too familiar with modesty, when their clothes were considered.

"Allow me to introduce my wife and my son, Tula and Balo," Upa said as he smiled fondly at his family.

The four teens respectfully introduced themselves as well. Upa's son Balo climbed down from his mother and approached the four teens with a curious expression, before he smiled and ran off. His hair was tied in a short ponytail; he looked about four or five from what they could tell.

"Don't mind him; he's not use to strangers. Although he enjoys meeting them in hopes of meeting someone like the boy from his father's stories," Tula informed the young teens. "It's a pleasure to have you stay with us. Would you all like something to eat?"

"Food?" Gohan replied as his stomach let out a loud growl in anticipation. He rubbed the back of his head and grinned shyly then admitted, "I could use some food"

His three friends nearly fell over. _"Gohan's all consuming stomach strikes again," _Videl thought with a sweat-drop.

Erasa just giggled while Sharpner shook his head and replied, "I don't think I'll ever get use to you and your stomach."

Gohan just chuckled as Tula led them to a place to eat. Bora, Upa, Videl, and Sharpner stayed behind for only a moment. "You will find Upa is easily the strongest in our Village," Bora announced with a serious tone, directed at the two teens. "You will find beating him will be equivalent to climbing the tower."

Videl smiled confidently at Upa, "Won't stop me from trying."

"Heh, maybe we'll just do that then," Sharpner added self-assuredly as he flicked some of his hair behind his shoulder.

Upa grinned back boldly as well; even he was quite excited to see what these young teens were capable of. But someone else had his overall attention, as well as Bora's. The young spikey-haired teen with a kind grin, friendly nature, and easily swayed stomach. The one who reacted completely opposite of his friends when they told their story. _"This might well turn out to be my second most interesting meeting with an outsider. Only time will tell." _Upa thought happily.

**A/N: yeah so it's been a while. Kinda got caught up with work, then some new and old manga/anime, a video game binge, etc. I just got completely sidetracked with what I'm doing. But finally back and trying to get more time in for writing. Anyway here's another chapter. Next one should be a bit longer. Again sorry for the wait for all those who were expecting a chapter a lot sooner. Well read and review. **


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